ISINQUMO sokuthi ahlukane neqembu abesehlale kulona iminyaka, i-Orlando Pirates, sithathwe ngokuvumelana ngoba ebhekela ikusasa lakhe umdlali omusha waMaZulu FC, uSandile Mthethwa.
Lo mdlali (27), odabuka eMpangeni, wajoyina ezikaMagebhula ngo-2016 esuka kwiDurban FC, okuyiqembu elalinobudlelwano neKZN Academy. Emazingeni aphansi wagijima kwiShooting Stars FC, nakwiFlamengo FC.
Kwathatha isikhathi ukuthi aziphendlele indawo kwiPirates ngoba waqala ngokubolekiswa emaqenjini anjengeRichards Bay FC, neChippa United, ngaphambi kokuthi azinze kweZimnyama ngesizini ka-2022/23.
Nokho, eminyakeni edlule bekungelula ukuthi athole ijezi kuleli qembu ngenxa yenqwaba yezitobha abelibanga nazo ezinjengoNkosinathi Sibisi, Olisa Ndah, Thapelo Xoki, Thabiso Sesane nabanye.
Lokho kuholele ekutheni ligcine ligqashukile ifindo phakathi kwakhe nezikaMagebhula ngesonto eledlule, nokuyisinqumo akholwa ukuthi sizomyisa phambili.
“Ngeke ngisho ukuthi benginengekile. Angisoze nganengwa yiqembu elangenza umuntu enginguye. Bekufanele ngithathe isinqumo ngoba ngikholwa wukuthi kuningi engingakwenza futhi ngisafisa ukumela izwe lami,” kusho uMthethwa.
“Ngibone ukuthi ukuhlala ngaphandle ngingadlali kuzophazamisa ikusasa lami ebholeni ngoba iminyaka iyahamba. Ngineminyaka engu-27 manje, okusho ukuthi yisona sikhathi sokuthi ngidlale lesi.
“Ikhaya ebengikulona belingakwazi ukunginika lokho, sabonisana, savumelana ngokuthi kufanele ngithathe olunye uhambo. Akukhona nje ukuthi iPirates iyinqamule inkontileka, kube nesivumelwano.”
UMthethwa uthe nakuba kusazomele ayilwele indawo yakhe nakuMaZulu kodwa ukholelwa ekutheni uzokwazi ukufaka isandla ukuze iqembu lenyukele endaweni ehloniphekile kwi-log.
Usuthu luhlezi endaweni ka-13 kwiBetway Premiership ngamaphuzu ayisishiyagalolunye emidlalweni eyisishiyagalombili, nokuyindawo uMthethwa abona ingalifanele iqembu elikhulu ngalolu hlobo.
“Njengomuntu odabuka KwaZulu-Natal, kuhle ukuba lapha ngoba akukude nasekhaya. Ngizizwa ngisekhaya lapha. Ngicabanga ukuthi lokhu engikwenze kwiPirates ngingakwenza nakuMazulu ngoba yilona qembu ebelizimisele ukunginika ithuba,” kusho uMthwethwa.
“Sengike ngadlula esimweni esifanayo namanye amaqembu engadlala kuwona phambilini. Alukho ushintsho olukhulu okufanele ngilwenze emqondweni, kuyinselelo enhle kunoma yimuphi umdlali. Ngihlose ukuzimisela ukuze ngisize iqembu liye phambili. Ngifuna ukubalwa nabadlali abaletha ushintsho,” uphethe kanje.