UKUHLANGANA kwezinhlanga ezahlukene ngesikhathi kubunjwa iligi yaseMzansi eminyakeni edlule, kwakusho ukuvuleka kwamathuba alinganayo kubadlali esigabeni esiphezulu.
INational Football League (NFL) yabamhlophe yahlangana neNational Professional Soccer League (NPSL) yabansundu ngo-1978. Kusukela lapho kugcine kuzalwa iPremier Soccer League (PSL) okuyisigaba esikhokhelayo eNingizimu Afrika.
IPSL isungulwe ngo-1996 kulandela isivumelwano phakathi kwabaphathi bamaqembu ngokusondeza ibhola lakuleli kwelaphesheya kwezilwandle njnegoba kwaqashwa uTrevor Phillips esuka e-England.
Lokhu kwaba wukunqoba okuphelele kwezikhulu okukhona kuzona uKaizer Motaung ongusihlalo weKaizer Chiefs no-Irvin Khoza we-Orlando Pirates ababelwela ukuthi ibhola lakuleli lisondele ezingeni le-English Premier League.
Emuva kweminyaka lokhu kuhlangana kuthele izithelo futhi kuqhamuka inqwaba yabadlali abamhlophe abasezingeni eliphezulu, kodwa kubukeka sincipha isibalo sabo ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika.
Lokhu akuqondakali ukuthi kudalwa yini kwazise eminyakeni edlule kade bebaningi emaqenjini ayibamba kwiDStv Premiership. Kulaba badlali kubalwa uNeil Tovey owayedlalela iChiefs, Gavin Lane wePirates, George Dearnaley owayedlalela AmaZulu nabanye. Bonke laba badlali badlalile kwiBafana Bafana.
UTovey wayehola iqembu lesizwe ngesikhathi liphakamisa indebe ye-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ngo-1996. ULane wayeseqenjini lePirates elawina indebe yeCaf Champions League ngo-1995. Nakuba abadlali beqokwa ngokwekhono kodwa kusobala ukuthi kukhona okungenzeka ukuthi kuhlehlisa abadlali abamhlophe ebholeni laseMzansi.
UMichael Morton udlalela iCape Town Spurs uthe kuyakhathaza ukuncipha kwabadlali abamhlophe ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika.
“KwiBafana Bafana anginayo inkinga ukuthi akekho noyedwa okwamanje ngoba kuqokwa ngokwezinga lakho. Uma okwamanje bengekho abadlali abamhlophe abakulelo zinga, angiyiboni inkinga.
“Inkinga yami isekutheni kungenzeka ukuthi akukho ukugqugquzeleka okwanele besebancane. Kungenzeka futhi ukuthi bakhetha umbhoxo nekhilikithi uma sebefika eminyakeni ethize.
“Ngifunde esikoleni lapho ibhola belingekho khona. Bekugxilwe kakhulu kwi-Rugby nakwi-Cricket. Ngiyazi ukuthi kwezinye izikole zomtakabani liyadlalwa ibhola emabangeni aphansi. Inkinga enkulu iqala uma sebewelela emabangeni angaphezulu sebeneminyaka engu-13. Lapho ibhola libekwa emuva, badudulelwe kwezinye ezemidlalo.
“Ibhola lidlalwa uma sekuyophela unyaka okuyisikhathi esincane kakhulu. Ngokwami inkinga ingaxazululeka uma abadlali abamhlophe bengafakwa ezinkulisa besebancane bakhulele khona.
“Banalo ikhono lokufika kwiPremiership njengoba kwenzekile ngoKeagan Allan (SuperSport United) okhulele kwiMamelodi Sundowns. Okudingekayo nje wukubavundulula,” kusho uMorton okhulele kwiPirates.
Ebholeni lombhoxo, uhulumeni useyifake yagxila eyokufakwa kwabadlali abansundu nakuba iqale yasusa umsindo. Iqembu lesizwe, ama-Springboks, liholwa nguSiya Kolisi ongowokuqala omnyama ukuhola iqembu lesizwe emlandweni neselinqobe indebe yomhlaba amahlandla amabili. Ukuba uhulumeni akasiqinisanga isandla kulo mdlalo ngokuvuleleka kwamathuba ngabe akukho okushintshile kumbhoxo.
Nakuba kungekho ukuvinjelwa kwezinye izinhlanga, okusobala ebholeni laseMzansi, kodwa kufanele kubhekisiswe ukunyamalala kwabadlali abamhlophe. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi baletha isinongo esihlukile ebholeni.
“Kufanele bavundululwe, bakhuliswe abadlali abamhlophe. Kumele banikwe nemifundaze njengoba kwenzeka kwezinye ezemidlalo ezifana ne-Cricket ne-Rugby. Kuphi lokho ebholen?
“Baningi abadlali abamhlophe abathanda ibhola. Bayalidlala baze bafike eminyakeni engu-13 yobudala. Emuva kwalokho bakhetha ikhilikithi nombhoxo. Lento kumele isukunyelwe,” kusho uNeil owadlala kwiChiefs nomnewabo uMark.
Isitobha seLamontville Golden Arrows, uBradley Cross sithe singene ebholeni ngoba silithanda futhi sisebenzela ukondla umndeni waso. UCross okhulele phesheya kwezilwandle, ubuye eMzansi ekuqaleni kwesizini edlule waziqeqesha neSuperSport United neChiefs kodwa amchitha la maqembu. KuBafana Bes’thende usephenduke intandokazi yabalandeli.
“Bakhona abadlali abamhlophe abambalwa engibaziyo abadlala kwiNFD (Motsepe Foundation Championship). Bakhona nabangani bami abalidlalayo ibhola. Konke kuncike ekutholeni amathuba.
“Abadlali abamhlophe bayalidlala ibhola besebancane kodwa bagcine bekhetha ezinye ezemidlalo uma sebekhulile noma ilunga lomndeni limqhamukele nelinye ithuba elihlukile.
“Kwakuvele kuyiphupho lami kusukela ngiseyingane ukudlala ibhola. Ngisebenzisa lona ukondla umndeni wami futhi ngisafuna ukubuyela phesheya. Lelo yiphupho engilisebenzela ukulifeza. Baningi abadlali abahle eNingizimu Afrika abezinhlanga ezahlukene. Okudingekayo nje wukuthi banikwe ithuba lokuzibonakalisa,” kuphetha uCross.
Okucacela nekhasela eziko wukuthi siya ngokuncipha isibalo sabadlali abamhlophe ebholeni laseMzansi. Uma lokhu bekunganakekile, sekuyisikhathi sokuthi kusukunyelwe. Ebholeni njengazo zonke ezemidlalo, ayinakisiswe eyokufaka zonke izinhlanga kulona.