KUSEMNYAMA ngekusasa lomdlali weKaizer Chiefs, uSiyethemba Sithebe, ophelelwa yinkontileka kuleli qembu ekupheleni kwesizini.
USithebe ujoyine iChiefs ekuqaleni kwesizini ka-2022/2023 esuka kuMaZulu kubhekwe lukhulu kuyena. Uhlukane noSuthu kungasekuhle ngenxa yokusayina inkontileka yesibambiso neChiefs. Abaphathi baMaZulu baqoke ukumdingisa eqenjini, wahlala izinyanga eziyisithupha engalidlali ibhola. USithebe ufike kwiChiefs kubhekwe lukhulu kuyena ngenxa yezinga alikhombise esayibamba kuMaZulu eliholele ekutheni angene eqenjini leBafana Bafana elidlale emqhudelwaneni iCosafa Cup. Nokho eNaturena izinto azimvumanga kwazise usesizwa ngendaba isikimu. Endaweni yakhe, enkabeni yenkundla kudlala uYusuf Maart no-Edison Castillo. Bekunamahlebezi okuthi iChiefs izombolekisa uSithebe nawokuthi angase aphindele kuMaZulu.
Imenenja kaSithebe okungumalume wakhe, uSihlangu Sithebe, uthe abakazi ukuthi ikusasa limphatheleni lomdlali.
“Asikaxoxi lutho neChiefs kodwa siyethemba ukuthi usazoba yingxenye yeqembu emuva kwale sizini. Sekuyiso isikhathi sezingxoxo mayelana nezinkontileka ezintsha, nami bengicabanga ukuthi sizoxoxa nabaphathi kodwa abakasho lutho. USiyethemba usajabule ukuba kwiChiefs. Inkinga abhekane nayo wukuhlaselwa wukulimala ngesikhathi esezama ukubuya emuva kokunye ukulimala. Ngiyakholwa ukuthi ungumdlali ofanele ukudlalela iChiefs. Esikimini akekho umdlali engikholwa wukuthi engathatha indawo yakhe noma edlala unombolo 8 noma unombolo 10,” kusho uSihlangu.
USithebe ugcine ukubonakala esikimini seChiefs ngo-Agasti nyakenye ngesikhathi ibhekene neMamelodi Sundowns emdlalweni weDStv Premiership kodwa akangawuqeda umdlalo ngenxa yokulimala. Emuva kokululama, uphinde walimala ejimini.
“Ubeqala ukulimala kangaka selokhu aqala ukudlala ibhola. Ushayeke edolweni, walulama wabuya. Waphinda walimala kulona futhi eziqeqesha neqembu. Uhlale amasonto ayisihlanu, wabuya futhi waba khona eqenjini kwaze kwaphela uDisemba. Ngisho umqeqeshi umbuzile ukuthi usengamfaka yini esikimini,” kusho uSihlangu.
Ngaphandle kukaSithebe, iChiefs inenqwaba yabadlali abaphelelwa yizinkontileka ngoJuni. Kulaba badlali kukhona u-Itumeleng Khune, Njabulo Ngcobo, Edmilson Dove, Lehlohonolo Matlou, Brandon Petersen nabanye.
Okhulumela iChiefs, uVina Maphosa, uthe akukho okusha angakuphawula ngendaba yezinkontileka zabadlali.
Amakhosi azobuyela enkundleni ngoFebhuwari 13 uma esamukela iTS Galaxy emdlalweni wePremiership eFNB Stadium, eNasrec.