USIHLALO nomqeqeshi weJomo Cosmos, u-Ephraim “Jomo” Sono, ukholwa wukuthi kufanele isihlabani se-Orlando Pirates, uRelebohile Mofokeng, singabanjezelwa ngethuba lokuyodlala phesheya kwezilwandle ngoba singaze sihanjelwe yiminyaka.
UMofokeng (21) okhushulelwe esikimini esikhulu sePirates ngesizini ka-2022/23, uqale ukugqama ngesizini edlule eshayela leli qembu amagoli amqoka. Nakule sizini uyaqhubeka nokwenza ezibukwayo njengoba esize eZimnyama zawina indebe yeMTN8. Lokhu kuholele ekutheni ebalwe nabadlali abangasali eqenjini lesizwe, iBafana Bafana.
Nakuba ezinyangeni ezedlule kusabalale amahlebezi ayamanisa uMofokeng namaqembu ase-Europe okukhona kuwona izinkunzi zaseSpain, iBarcelona, kodwa namanje akukho okuphathekayo.
“Ngingomunye walabo abathola ithuba lokuyodlala phesheya ngisavunywa yiminyaka, ngasayiniswa yiNew York Cosmos ngineminyaka engu-21. Ngakho ngikuqonda kahle ukubaluleka kokuyodlala phesheya. Yingakho-ke nami ngiqinisekisa eqenjini lami iCosmos ukuthi angimi endleleni yomdlali uma kuvela ithuba lokuyodlala phesheya.
Umufi uThomas Madigage ngamusa kwi-FC Zurich (yaseSwirtzerland) ngo-1990 eneminyaka engu-20 no-Aaron Mokoena ngamusa kwiBayer Leverkusen (yaseGermany) ngo-1998 eneminyaka engu-18, nabanye abaningi.
Ngakho-ke ngikholelwa kakhulu ekutheni umdlali adedelwe uma ethola ithuba lokuyodlala phesheya ukuze akhule ebholeni, enze nemali,” kusho uSono.
Kubadlali abadayiswa nguSono emaqenjini ase-Europe eminyakeni edlule, kubalwa uMacBeth Sibaya owadlala kwiRosenborg yaseNorway neRubin Kazan yaseRussia, uBenjamin Mwaruwari owadlala kwiGrasshoppers yaseScotland, iPortsmouth neManchester City, ukubala abambalwa.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi uRelebohile usekulungele ukudlala phesheya, ikhono lakhe alingatshazwa futhi usekhombisa ukuvuthwa. Uma kuyiqiniso ukuthi akhona amaqembu ase-Europe amfunayo, kufanele adedelwe umfana ayodlala phesheya esavunywa yiminyaka ukuze akhule ebholeni enze nemali. Akufanele aze ashaywe yiminyaka.”
UMofokeng osedlale imidlalo engu-37 washaya amagoli angu-10 kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano kule sizini, ngomunye wabadlali abamqoka kweZimnyama ezisayibambe kwiCaf Champions League. KwiBafana, ayishayele igoli ngesikhathi inqoba iLesotho emasontweni adlule, usethubeni lokuyodlala kwi-Africa Cup of Nations eMorocco ekupheleni konyaka.