UMDLALI waseswini waMaZulu FC, u-Ethan Brooks, ongomunye okubhekwe lukhulu kubona, uphupha ngokuba yingxenye yeqembu lesizwe, iBafana Bafana, elizodlala kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), ngoJanuwari wonyaka ozayo e-Ivory Coast.
UBrooks (22) obengomunye wabadlali abangaconsi phansi kumqeqeshi weBafana, uHugo Broos, ugcine ukuba yingxenye yaleli qembu lesizwe ngoMashi nyakenye lapho belidlala eyobungani neGuinea neFrance e-Europe.
Uhlushwe ukulimala nakhona kodwa ubeqhamuka ezikwatini zakuleli zika-U/23 kanti nakwiCosafa Cup ebiseThekwini ezinyangeni ezedlule, ubeqokwe njengokaputeni (weBafana) kodwa wangadlala ngenxa yokulimala.
Lo mdlali ofike kuMaZulu ethwelwe ngeqoma esuka kwi-TS Galaxy, ekhuluma nabezindaba ejimini yoSuthu, ukuvezile ukuthi lisakhona iphupho lokuyodlala kwi-Afcon ngonyaka ozayo.
Nokho uBrooks unalesi sifiso nje, izinto azihambi kahle eqenjini lakhe njengoba Usuthu lungakanqobi emidlalweni emine ye-DStv Premiership phezu kwalokho alikakwazi ukushaya igoli.
Namuhla luzoqhubeka nokuzama ukushintsha isimo selubhekene neqembu likaBrooks lakudala, iGalaxy emdlalweni ozoqala ngo-7.30 ebusuku, eMoses Mabhida Stadium.
“Kukhona ibhadi elisilandele kuMaZulu kodwa ithemba likhulu ukuthi siqale kowe-TS Galaxy ukubhakuzisa inethi futhi engathi kungaba yimina olishayayo elokuqala lesizini,” kusho uBrooks sakuncokola.
Uyakwamukela uBrooks ukuthi kusukela efikile kuMaZulu akakadlali ngendlela ebilindeleke kuyena.
“Ngibe nebhadi lokuhlushwa wukulimala eduze kulandelana yize bekuyizinto ezincane kodwa bezingiphazamisa ukuthi ngizinze.
“Kulapho futhi ngilahlekelwe khona yindawo yami eqenjini lesizwe. Okwami wukuziveza ngengikwenza enkundleni bese kuba kubona (abeBafana) ukuthi bayangibuyisa yini.
“Akekho kubona oseke wakhuluma nami kodwa ngiyakwazi okufanele ngikwenze ukuze ngibuyele. Ngiqale kahle kule sizini kodwa kufanele kuqhubeke ukuze liqhubeke nephupho lami lokuba yingxenye yeBafana kwi-Afcon.
“Ukubuyela kwiBafana yiphupho lami. Ngizizwa ngivuselelekile ngendlela engiqale ngayo isizini yize imiphumela isaphika eqenjini,” kuqhuba yena.
“Inhloso yami wukuqinisekisa ukuthi angiwudedeli lo mgqigqo engiqale ngawo khona nomqeqeshi weBafana ezongikhumbula.
“Isemqondweni wami indaba ye-Afcon ngeke ngiqambe amanga futhi ngikhuthazekile ngoba sonke siyamazi umqeqeshi weBafana ukuthi isikwati sakhe usiqoka ngokomgqigqo wabadlali emaqenjini abo,” kuphetha uBrooks.
Kuzokuthi namuhla emini uBroos amemezele abadlali bakhe abangu-23 azodlala ngabo eyobungani neNamibia neDemocratic Republic of Congo ngokwahlukana ngenyanga ezoqala.
Inhloso yale midlalo yobungani, ukucijela eyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026 engoNovemba ne-Afcon eqalayo ezinyangeni ezingaphansi kweziyisithupha.