Richard Mbulu: The Seargant who derailed the Mamelodi Sundowns train!

The unstoppable Mamelodi Sundowns train was derailed on Monday night as Baroka held them to a 1-1 draw in Polokwane.

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And this was thanks to Richard Mbulu‘s stoppage time stunner which he took on the turn to beat Denis Onyango hands down from outside the box. 

With his 95th-minute strike, Mbulu didn’t just ease Baroka’s relegation fears but he also gave hope to those still optimistic of catching Sundowns in the title race.

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Had the Brazilians been able to hold on to their 1-0 lead for five more seconds, they would have moved to 50 points from 21 league games. 

MBULU: A SEARGANT SOLDIER WHO ENJOYS PLAYING AGAINST SUNDOWNS  

Mbulu, a trained Malawian soldier, appears to be enjoying himself whenever he plays against Sundowns.

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The goal on Monday was his second in four appearances for Baroka against Sundowns – and both goals came this season. 

The only other team that Mbulu has scored more than once against since his arrival in the PSL is Black Leopards.

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Mbulu joined the Malawian military eight years ago, and he soon played for the Malawi Armed Forces College. 

The now 28-year-old striker would then pursue his passion for football, but he remains a recognized soldier in Malawi.

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In 2021, Mbulu was promoted to the position of Seargant by the Malawian military, and this was because of the solitary goal he scored against Uganda in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. 

Mbulu’s 16th-minute headed goal against Uganda ensured that Malawi qualify for their third continental tournament in Cameroon.

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MBULU HAS HIS FUTURE SORTED AFTER FOOTBALL 

Despite currently plying his trade in South Africa, Mbulu already has his future sorted out in Malawi after football.

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He reports to the Malawian military whenever he’s back home as he’s yet to retire from the army. 

“I am still a soldier, it’s not like I have retired. Whenever I go back home, I report to the military and they tell me what to do,” Mbulu told the South African media in 2021.

“Even when I retire from football, I will be a soldier full time. I joined because my father is also a soldier. So, that was my motivation,” he said at the time.

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