Kufezeke iphupho ebolekiswa elaphesheya kwiSundowns

UVEZE ukuthi bese kuneminyaka ephupha ngokudlalela iqembu elikhulu leMamelodi Sundowns umdlali osanda kujoyina leli qembu lasePitoli, uKatlego “Tsiki” Ntsabeleng.

Lo mdlali wasesiswini (27), ubolekiswe yiqembu lase-United States eligijima kwiMajor League Soccer (MLS), iFC Dallas, kanti kubhekwe ukuthi adlale kumaBrazilian kuze kuphele le sizini ka-2025/26.

Nakuba uNtsabeleng adlala isikhashana eqenjini elincane leSundowns, usezobuyela kulona esengumdlali ohlukile kwazise usenesipiliyoni seminyaka edlala phesheya.

Lo mdlalo ukhulele elokishini laseGoli, iDaveyton, elaziwa ngokukhiqiza izihlabani okubalwa kuzona uJabu Mahlangu, Junior Khanye, Kabelo Dlamini nabanye.

Isidlaliso sakhe wasithola esadlala ezinkundleni eziwubhuqu zangakubo ngenxa yesitayela ayejwayele ukusishaya ayesibukele kowayelihlikihla kwiKaizer Chiefs, uThabo "Tsiki Tsiki" Mooki.

Waqala ukudlala ibhola emaqenjini okukhona kuwona iPeacemakers FC neSister Monica Youth Development Soccer Centre, lapho ayephekwa khona yinkakha yeJomo Cosmos, uLawrence Siyangaphi-Qupe.

Wamenywa nguDlamini, osegijima kwi-Orlando Pirates, ukuba azozama kwiStars of Africa Academy, wathathwa.

Ngemuva kokuphothula u-matric, uNtsabeleng wayenethemba lokuthi angase alandele ezinyathelweni zabanye abasuka kule nkulisa bayodlala phesheya okubalwa kubona uMay Mahlangu, Tokelo Rantie, Luther Singh nabanye.

Kuthe uma ungavuleki lowo mnyango, wabhalisa e-University of Johannesburg eyokwenza izifundo ze-Sports Management, wadlalela neqembu lakhona, wafaka nakwelesizwe lika-Under-20.

Ikhono lakhe lidonse amehlo kaDavid Notoane, owamyisa eqenjini leSundowns elidlala kwiDStv Diski Challenge kodwa washeshe waphoqeleka ukuba alishiye ngenxa yebanga okwakufanele alihambe uma esuka e-UJ eyojima neqembu ePitoli.

Uke wathathwa nayiqembu laKaizer Chiefs le-DDC kodwa nalo waphinde walishiya ukuze agxile ezifundweni zakhe.

Izinto ziqale ukujika ngesikhathi uNtsabeleng etholwa ngumqeqeshi weCoastal Carolina University, uKyle Timm, owamthatha wayodlelwa iqembu lakhe ngo-2018. Yilapho agqama khona wagcina esedlulele kwesinye isikhungo, i-Oregon State University.

Ukwenza kahle kakhulu kulelo qembu kwaholela ekutheni aqokwe yiqembu iFC Dallas kwi-MLS SuperDraft ka-2022.

Kumasizini asewadlale kuleli qembu udlale imidlalo engu-92, washaya amagoli amabili, wakha ayisikhombisa.

"Bekungekona okokuqala kungena ucingo oluvela kwiSundowns. Sake saxoxa ngo-2023 kodwa ngaleso sikhathi ngangisazama ukuzinza kwi-MLS, ngisaqala ukudlala ebholeni elikhokhelayo. Akukhona ukuthi nganqaba kodwa kwagcina kungaphumelelanga," usho kanje ekhuluma ekhasini leSundowns kuYouTube.

“Ngesikhathi sekwenzeka okwesibili ngibonile ukuthi kungenxa yokuthi bengilokhu nginalo iphupho lokudlalela iSundowns. Yiqembu ebelisenhliziyweni yami, ikakhulukazi uma ngibheka emuva ngoba bengikholwa ukuthi ngaphunyukwa yithuba lokunqoba okuningi naleli qembu. Bekuhlezi kukhona ngaphakathi kimina ukuthi mhlawumbe kuzokwenzeka ngelinye ilanga. 

"Ngingasho ukuthi ngingumdlali onomdlandla, onekhono futhi osebenza kanzima. Ngingadlala noma yikuyiphi indawo ehlaselayo esiswini, ezinhlangothini noma maphakathi.”

UNtsabeleng ufika kwiSundowns nje, isabheka izixazululo esiswini ngenxa yokulimala kukaThemba Zwane nezinkinga eziholele ekutheni uLucas Ribeiro angadlali njengoba esefuna ukulishiya iqembu.

ISundowns isendaweni yesithathu kwi-log yeBetway Premiership ngamaphuzu angu-11 emidlalweni emihlanu kanti izobhekana neMagesi FC emdlalweni olandelayo ngoSepthemba 14.