Portsmouth boss gives reasons for emotional exit of homegrown product touted for big things

John Mousinho believes Haji Mnoga wasn’t likely to impact his squad at Championship level.

And that is the reason the Pompey boss made the decision to call time on a 16-year stay at Fratton Park for the club’s longest-serving first-team member.

But Mousinho believes Mnoga can still go on to have a strong career in the game, as the Somerstown lad departs PO4.

Mnoga was one of 10 players told they will definitely not be part of the club’s future moving forward next season.

For the 22-year-old that may not have been a huge surprise, after spending the past two seasons out on loan with Aldershot in the National League.

There was high hopes for Mnoga as he became the second youngest post-war player to feature for Pompey, aged 16 years, five months and 24 days in 2018.

The defender went on to make 18 appearances and score one goal for the club he joined in 2008, but Mousinho feels it’s time for a new start for the former Trafalgar School pupil.

Mousinho said: ‘With Haji, he’s done well with his last couple of loans.

‘The one thing we’d say with Haji, is if you’re going out on loan to any level you have to be the best player to come back and affect the Portsmouth squad.

‘If you look at last year for Haji to come back and affect the squad for this season, he would have needed to be one of the best players at National League level with Aldershot.

‘He did well, but probably not well enough to come and affect our squad at League One level.

‘It’s the same this year, but unfortunately for Haji we’ve stepped up a level - so he would’ve needed to be even better.’

After 37 appearances this season at Aldershot and eight internationals, including African Cup of Nations involvement, for Tanzania, Mousinho believes there won’t be a shortage of takers for the defender.

And, as another academy graduate departs, the Pompey boss is hopeful he will go on to fulfil his potential elsewhere.

Mousinho added: ‘There’s plenty of clubs I think who will be interested in taking Haji - he has a lot of potential. He just needs to put everything together and keep playing as well as he has done over the past couple of years.’

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