Ayicaci eyokuphela kwesigwebo sikanozinti weKaizer Chiefs, u-Itumeleng Khune, omiselwe ukufika ejimini ebuhlabile ngaphambi kokuphela konyaka odlule.
UKhune (36) ophelelwa yinkontileka naMakhosi ngoJuni, ushaye into ecokeme ngempelasonto edlule, ngesikhathi evimbele iqembu elivotelwe ngabalandeli, iCarling All-Stars, emdlalweni weCarling Black Label Cup ePolokwane.
Ezakhe zigcine zehlule iStellenbosch ngo 2-1, zaphakamisa indebe. UKhune udlale kulo mdlalo nje, iChiefs kade iyichitha indaba yakhe yokuyodlala kuwona kwazise usamisiwe eqenjini futhi ubengaziqeqeshi nalo. Nokho lugcine lugobile uphondo kuMakhosi.
UKhune uvotelwe njengomadlali ovelele, wagoduka nesheke likaR100 000. Emuva komdlalo, iningi livumile ukuthi akukapheli ngoKhune phezu kokuba iChiefs ikumemezele ekuqaleni kwesizini ukuthi sekuyisizini yakhe yokugcina evimbela Amakhosi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uKhune ekhuluma nabezindaba ngaphambi komdlalo, ukuvezile ukuthi usabheke ukuzuza lukhulu ebholeni okubalwa kukhona ukudlala aze afinyelele eminyakeni engu-40 yobudala.
Nakuba kukhona iqeqebana labalandeli elisamfuna enkundleni kodwa iChiefs ayiphumeli obala mayelana nesikhathi asimisiwe.
“Akwaziwa ukuthi uzomiswa kuze kube nini. Akekho oyikhulumayo eqenjini. Empeleni abaziwa ubude besikhathi asimisiwe u-Itu. Iqembu limfake ezinhlelweni ezahlukene ngenhloso yokumsiza abhekane nenkinga yophuzo nokumelana nempilo uqobo. Ngicabanga ukuthi konke kuzoncika ekutheni lezo zinhlelo ziphela nini,” kusho umthombo ozazi zonke ezeChiefs.
UKhune, ongukaputeni waMakhosi, kuthiwa akazemukelanga kahle izindaba zokuthi usedlala isizini yakhe yokugcina. Wanyuselwa esikimini esikhulu ngo-2004 eneminyaka engu-17. Ngo-2007, wavimba okokuqala esigabeni esikhulu ngesikhathi iChiefs ibhekene neJomo Cosmos eThekwini, eneminyaka engu-20. Eminyakeni edlule, ubengakhohlwa ukusho ukuthi ufuna ukugugela kwiChiefs. Nokho umbuzo osezindebeni zabaningi owokuthi usazonikwa yini ithuba kwiChiefs ngaphambi kokuphela kwenkontileka yakhe ngoJuni.
Okhulumela iChiefs, uVina Maphosa, uthe ngeke bakwenekele izwe okwenzekayo mayelana nokumiswa kukaKhune.
“Lokhu esikubhalile esitatimendeni mayelana nokumiswa kwakhe, yikhona okufanele kwaziwe wumphakathi. Akukho okunye. Ngeke siqhubeke nokuphawula kwazise sicacisile esitatimendeni. Ukuthi uzobuya nini, kanjani, lokho kuphakathi kuka-Itu neqembu. Uhlelo iqembu elimfake kulona, luphakathi kwakhe neqembu. Uma sekuphelile ukumiswa kwakhe, iqembu lizomemezela. Mayelana nokwenzeke koweCarling, asinakho esingakusho. Usamisiwe u-Itu,” kusho uMaphosa.
Ukumiswa kukaKhune kusho ukulahlekelwa yibhande likakaputeni eseliwele kuYusuf Maart oyibamba enkabeni yenkundla. Amakhosi azobuyela enkundleni ngoFebhuwari 14, neTS Galaxy emdlalweni weDStv Premiership ePeter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane.