Highlands Park coach Owen da Gama says there is “something wrong” in Mark Mayambela’s life and that the talented winger needs a “prayer” to prevent his career from hitting the skids.

Skilful, mercurial winger Mayambela is clubless after he was released by Chippa United at the end of last season and is currently training with Da Gama’s team to keep fit with a hope of winning a contract.

Da Gama knows Mayambela well having coached him at Bloemfontein Celtic from 2008 to 2010.

“There’s something happening, something wrong in his life,” said Da Gama ahead of his side’s quarterfinal clash against Mayambela’s old team, Orlando Pirates, at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (kickoff 6pm).

Bucs will be coached by new caretaker and ex-assistant Rulani Mokwena after the shock resignation of head coach Milutin Sredojevic on Friday.

“There’s definitely something wrong with Mark,” Da Gama continued, without elaborating.

“Something in his life is not right. I mean he is such a quality player to go from one team to the other.”

Da Gama also suggested that a traditional ceremony is perhaps what the left-footed winger needs to get his career back on track.

“He needs to get it right with the family as to what he can do and what he wants to do to fix up his life because he just needs a little bit of luck,” Da Gama said.

Asked what he meant by “luck”, Da Gama said: “Luck in terms of fixing up whatever is wrong in his life – you know what I mean. I’m talking about [fixing his life] in our African perspective.

“Maybe somebody is not happy at home or, you know, the family is not happy with certain things. That’s why I said he has to go back home and sit with his father and his uncles and his mother and the family and try and see what it is that can be done.”

Da Gama said Mayambela still has potential as a player and can be a valuable addition to any team in the league.

“He is really a quality player and I advised him to go back home, which he did over the weekend, to go and sit with the family and just have a prayer.

“He is back already. He went home on Friday and came back on Monday.

“As a father I advised him that he needs to go back home to sit with the family and pray.

“I am working on him mentally as a human being and as a child, you know, and hopefully Mayambela can get his act together and start producing the football that we know he can produce.

“He is definitely a player with quality and I know what he is capable of.

“Remember he played for me at Bloemfontein Celtic and he had a brilliant season that year and Pirates bought him.

“I coached Mark at Celtic and when I got there he was not playing and I worked on him and worked with him and he had his best season and Pirates bought him,” Da Gama said.