Isikhulu seBlack Leopards, uChief Thidiela, sizishaya isifuba ngokudlondlobala kukaKhuliso Mudau weMamelodi Sundowns osesikwatini seBafana Bafana esibheke emqhudelwaneni i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
UMudau (28) waseLimpopo, usayine kwiSundowns ngo-2020 esuka kwiLidoda Duvha egawulwe yizembe kwiDStv Premiership. Ukujoyina iSundowns kwakhe kumangaze abaningi abebengakholwa ukuthi uzophumelela ukuzenzela igama eChloorkop kwazise ubengagqamile kwiLeopards.
Nokho emuva kwamasizini amathathu, uMudau uselenze elakhe ijezi kwiSundowns futhi uyena oqala imidlalo emuva kwesokudla nakwiBafana ngaphansi komqeqeshi uHugo Broos owaqale wangamethemba kule ndawo. Baningi ababheke ukuthi kube nguyena ozodlala emdlalweni wokuqala we-Afcon uma iBafana isidudulana neMali ngoLwesibili.
“Sihlala siziqhenya ngabadlali bethu abaphumelele. Kuyinhloso yethu ukubavulela iminyango, beyofeza amaphupho abo kwamanye amaqembu noma phesheya kwezilwandle. Nakuba sidlala kwiligi eyodwa neSundowns kodwa iyohlala ibathenga abadlali bamaqembu afana nathi ngoba asinayo imali yokubagcina. Okwethu wukubaveza babonwe.
“Baningi abadlali bethu abazenzele igama ebholeni laseMzansi. UHlompho Kekana ngamthola eneminyaka engu-16 kuphela. Inkontileka yakhe yasayinwa ngabazali ngenxa yokuthi wayesemncane. Kukhona ngisho uJabu Maluleke, Tiyani Mabunda nabanye abaningi. Sizinikele ukuveza abafana ebholeni futhi siyajabula uma bezuza izinto ezinkulu,” kusho uThidiela.
Ikhono likaMudau labonwa nguThidiela ekwiMagesi kumasizini adlule. Wahamba naye esebuyela eqenjini likayise, iLeopards, ngo-2020. KwiLeopards, uMudau wayeyibamba enkabeni yenkundla. Lokho kwashintsha komunye umdlalo emuva kokuthi ukaputeni, uMarks Munyai, ethola ekhadi elibomvu, kwaphoqeka ukuthi uMudau ayovala isikhala sakhe emuva kwesokudla. Kusukela lapho akuphindanga kwashintsha, waba ngumdlali wasemuva.
“Ngangihlala naye kwiMagesi. Omunye wabaqeqeshi wathi kufanele simchithe uMudau nabanye abadlali kodwa engasisho isizathu. Wagcina engitshela ukuthi yingoba akasheshi. Ngamphikisa kulokho, ngabiza abadlali ngabamisa ulayini ngathi abagijime sibone ozophuma phambili. UMudau wabashiya bonke. Ngambuza umqeqeshi ukuthi ubekhuluma ngani?
“Washintsha lapho wathi uma egijima, izandla zakhe uzimisa ngathi uyisi*****. Ngabuza ukuthi lokho kuhlanganaphi nebhola. Emuva kokuthi iMagesi idliwe yizembe (kwiNational First Division), ngamthatha noMasia (Isaac) noMaziya (Silas) ngaya nabo kwiLeopards. Ngakhuluma nobaba (David Thidiela) samsayinisa,” kusho uThidiela.
Nakuba iSundowns yaziwa “ngokuphuca” amanye amaqembu abadlali eMzansi ngokubeka itshe lemali nokubathembisa imiholo emikhulu kodwa kuMudau kwenzeke okuhlukile.
“Emuva kokuthi iLeopards igawulwe yizembe, ngabona ukuthi uMudau akumfanele ukudlala esigabeni esiphansi. Ngamhambisa mina kwiSundowns ngenxa yobudlelwano esinabo nayo. ISundowns ayikaze imfune uMudau nakuba yayazi ukuthi ukhona umdlali onjengaye kwazise inabantu yonke indawo abayithungathela abadlali. Ngenhlanhla, yavuma ukumnika ithuba lokumhlola eduzane,” kusho uThidiela.
“Ngiyajabula ukuthi uyodlala kwi-Afcon futhi ngokwekhono analo engadlala ngisho phesheya kwezilwandle. KwiSundowns usethuthuke kakhulu njengomdlali ngenxa yokuzinikela kwakhe nokuhleleka kwezinto eqenjini. Ngijabule kakhulu emasontweni adlule, ngizwa uRhulani Mokwena evuma ukuthi wenza iphutha ngesikhathi egxeka uMudau ngokuthi uvimba ibhola ngama-studs. URhulani uthe emuva kocwaningo, utholile ukuthi empeleni iyona indlela efanele. Lokho kusho ukuthi uMudau ukhuliswe kahle ngokwebhola. Ukuvuma iphutha komqeqeshi kusho ukuzithoba.”
KuSundowns, uMudau usewine isicoco seligi kathathu, indebe yeNedbank Cup, eyeMTN8 neye-African Football League (AFL).