I-orlando Pirates ichayise amaqembu eDStv Premiership ngokwelula inkontileka yomdlali wasesiswini, uMakhehleni Makhaula, ophenduke inyama njengoba kuvulwe iwindi lokubhalisa abadlali lePremier Soccer League (PSL).
UMakhaula (34) ujoyine iPirates ngoJanuwari nyakenye, esuka kuMaZulu kubhekwe lukhulu kuyena. Usayine inkontileka yezinyanga ezingu-18 enombandela wokuyivuselela ngonyaka.
Nokho ubhekane nobunzima emizamweni yokuyenza eyakhe indawo enkabeni yenkundla ayibanga noThabang Monare oseqenjini leBafana Bafana eliyodlala emqhudelwaneni i-Africa Cup of Nations e-Ivory Coast noMiguel Timm oyintandokazi yabalandeli.
Selokhu efikile kweZimnyama, uMakhaula usaqale imidlalo emine kuphela yeDStv Premiership. Eminye uyidlale esuka ebhentshini. Ubeseqenjini leZimnyama eliphakamise indebe yeNedbank Cup emuva kokwehlula iSekhukhune United ekupheleni kwesizini edlule nakweliwine eyeMTN8 emuva kokushaya iMamelodi Sundowns kowamanqamu eThekwini.
Isolezwe lithole ukuthi uMakhaula ubefunwa yinqwaba yamaqembu kwiPremiership okukhona kuwona iRichards Bay FC, AmaZulu neCape Town Spurs. Ngaphambi kokuphela kuka-2023, kuvele ukuthi uMakhaula usefuna ukubolekiswa kuMaZulu ngenxa yobungasitholi isikimu kuPirates.
Imenenja kaMakhaula, uSizwe Ntshangase, ithe iPirates iyelulile inkontileka kaMakhaula ebizophela ngoJuni.
“UMakhaula uyahlala kuPirates. Iwusebenzisile umbandela wokwelula inkontileka yakhe ngonyaka. Isiyoze iphele ngesizini ezayo. Uma kukhona iqembu elimfunayo aliyokhuluma nePirates. IPirates ikhulumile nathi ngaphambi kokuphela konyaka. Umqeqeshi (Jose Riveiro) uthe usenazo izinhlelo ngaye, akuyena umdlali angamdedela. Abamfunayo abaqonde kuPirates,” kusho uNtshangase.
AmaZulu abefuna ukubuyisa uMakhaula nje, awakaze amthole umdlali wokuvala indawo yakhe agcina echibiyela ngo-Abbubaker Mobara. Kuvele ukuthi abaphathi basale bezisola ngemuva kokuhamba kwakhe ngendlela izinto ezenzeke ngayo, engayemukeli inkontileka abenikwa yona.
INatal Rich Boyz kade ifuna uMakhaula ukuqinisa esiswini kwazise kade isalinyalelwe nguMpho Mathebula. Okwamanje esiswini seBay kudlala uLucky Mohomi osayine ekuqaleni kwesizini esuka kuMarumo Gallants egawulwe yizembe. Kuthiwa kuSpurs, uMakhaula ubefunwa ngumqeqeshi, u-Ernst Middendorp njengoba esempini yokuvika izembe kuPremiership. ISpurs isemsileni we-log ngamaphuzu ayisithupha emuva kwemidlalo engu-16.
IPirates izobuyela enkundleni ngoFebhuwari 14, uma seyamukela iChippa United e-Orlando Stadium, eSoweto.