May Mahlangu

May Mahlangu

Mahlangu playing for Helsingborgs IF in 2012
Personal information
Full name	May Sphiwe Mahlangu
Date of birth	1 May 1989
Place of birth	Secunda, South Africa
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position	Central midfielder
Club information
Current team	Sint-Truiden
Number	4
Youth career
2004–2006	Stars of Africa Academy
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2006–2008	Alexandra United
2008–2013	Helsingborgs IF	98	(7)
2008–2009	→ IFK Hässleholm (loan)	16	(6)
2014	IFK Göteborg	24	(5)
2015	Konyaspor	8	(1)
2015–	Sint-Truiden	10	(2)
National team^‡
2012–	South Africa	16	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 February 2016. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 June 2015

May Mahlangu (born 1 May 1989 in Secunda, Mpumalanga) is a South African footballer who plays for Sint-Truiden as a central midfielder.

Club career

Early career

Mahlangu joined the Stars of Africa Academy at age 15 and played for their team Alexandra United FC.^[1]

Helsingborgs IF

Bo Nilsson was the manager of Allsvenskan club Helsingborgs IF in 2008 and through his connections with the academy he brought over Mahlangu to Sweden. Nilsson set it up so that Mahlangu would train with both Helsingborg and fourth tier club IFK Hässleholm each day, and that he would initially play league games for Hässleholm.^[2][3] After impressing in the Swedish lower leagues Helsingborg decided to permanently make him a part of their squad in the summer of 2009.^[4] In 2011 the club won the Swedish league and Mahlangu was given the player of the year award.^[5]

IFK Göteborg

On 4 March 2014 Mahlangu joined Allsvenskan club IFK Göteborg on a one-year contract.^[6]

Konyaspor

May Mahlangu signed with Konyaspor in January 2015 as a free transfer. On February 28, 2015, Mahlangu scored his first league goal against Fenerbahçe.

International career

In January 2012 Mahlangu made his debut for the South Africa national football team in a friendly against Equatorial Guinea.^[7] He was also included in South Africa's squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.^[8]

In November 2014, Mahlangu was banned from selection for the Bafana Bafana after failing to turn up for their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan and Nigeria citing fatigue.^[9][10]

Career statistics

Club

As of 1 November 2014^[11]

Club	Season	League		Cup		Continental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
IFK Hässleholm	2008	6	1	—		—		6	1
	2009	10	5	0	0	—		10	5
	Total	16	6	0	0	0	0	16	6
Helsingborgs IF	2009	8	0	1	0	1	0	10	0
	2010	19	3	3	0	—		22	3
	2011	28	4	5	1	4	0	37	5
	2012	30	0	1	0	12	0	43	0
	2013	13	0	4	0	—		17	0
	Total	98	7	14	1	17	0	129	8
IFK Göteborg	2014	24	5	0	0	6	2	30	7
	Total	24	5	0	0	6	2	30	7
Konyaspor	2014–15	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Career total		138	18	14	1	23	2	175	21

International

As of 16 June 2013^[12]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
South Africa	2012	6	1
	2013	7	1
Total		13	2

International goals

Scores and results lists South Africa's goal tally first.

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	22 December 2012	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	Malawi	3–1	3–1	Friendly
2.	27 January 2013	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	Morocco	1–1	2–2	2013 Africa Cup of Nations

Honours

Helsingborgs IF

• Allsvenskan: 2011
• Svenska Cupen: 2010, 2011
• Svenska Supercupen: 2011, 2012

Individual

• Allsvenskan Player of the Year: 2011

References

1. "May Mahlangu". starsofafricafootballacademy.com. Stars of Africa Football Academy. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
2. "May visade framfötterna". kristianstadsbladet.com (in Swedish). Kristianstadsbladet. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
3. "Afrikanska diamanter slipas i IFK Hässleholm". skanskan.se (in Swedish). Skånskan. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
4. "Mahlangu kan ersätta Landgren". hd.se (in Swedish). Helsingborgs Dagblad. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
5. "May Mahlangu - Årets allsvenska spelare!". hif.se (in Swedish). Helsingborgs IF. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
6. "Mahlangu klar för IFK Göteborg" (in Swedish). IFK Göteborg. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
7. "May debuterade i landslaget". hif.se (in Swedish). Helsingborgs IF. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
8. "Afrikanska mästerskapen för May Mahlangu". hif.se (in Swedish). Helsingborgs IF. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
9. "Mahlangu banned from Bafana". www.sport24.co.za. sport24. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
10. "May Mahlangu banned from playing for South Africa after asking to be rested". Associated Press (ESPN.com). 12 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
11. "May Mahlangu". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
12. "May Mahlangu". National Football Teams. Retrieved 28 December 2014.

External links

• (Swedish) Profile at HelsingborgsIF.se
• (Swedish) Profile at SvenskFotboll.se
• Profile at worldfootball.net
• (Swedish) Profile at Eliteprospects.com