‘I regret leaving Pirates’
Augustine Mahlonoko hails from Sebokeng in the Vaal, a known football talent hub, but has flattered to deceive as he has yet to reach the heights befitting his potential.
And when things didn’t go according to script, there arose questions aplenty. Was he a one-hit wonder? Many wondered what went wrong for wonderkid, who in 2018 was named in The Guardian’s Next Generation 2018 as being among the 60 best young talents in world football.
“I got to a stage where I felt like I was on top of the world and my ego … I got bigheaded,” admits Mahlonoko, taking stock of his time at Pirates.
The attacking midfielder was yet to set the scene alight with his skills when Pirates demoted him from the first team. Mahlonoko, who made four appearances for Pirates, says he slipped into the comfort zone, where there was no urgency to grow and develop.
“There was a time where I thought that they promoted a good player but at the wrong time. I had so many thoughts in my mind. Everything was OK in the beginning. What’s going on now? What went wrong? I started asking myself those questions. What happened? I am no longer hungry.
“I relaxed too much. I thought I am from development so even if something happens, I’m not going nowhere but the reality is that today you are here and
