ABADLALI ababeyingxenye yeBafana Bafana ngo-1996, ngesikhathi idla isicoco se-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), asebephenduke abaqeqeshi abaqavile eNingizimu Afrika, batuse uClive “The Dog” Barker, odlule emhlabeni ngempelasonto njengesizathu sokuba kwabo kulezi zihlalo abakuzona.
UHelman Mkhalele, oyiphini lenhloko yomqeqeshi kwiBafana, Eric Tinkler opheka iCape Town City noRodger De Sa, wodumo emaqenjini ahlukene okubalwa kuwona ne-Orlando Pirates, bonke batshele Isolezwe ukuthi ngaphandle kwethonya likaBarker, abakholwa ukuthi ngabe bakulezi zihlalo abakuzona.
UBarker (78), okusenguyena yedwa umqeqeshi wakuleli ukudla isicoco se-Afcon, wabuye wafaka iBafana koweNdebe yoMhlaba okokuqala ngo-1998, eFrance, ushone ngoMgqibelo ekuseni kulandela impi yesikhashana neLewy Body Dementia (LBD). Umndeni uthe uzofihlwa kusasa.
Ubewumqeqeshi onogazi, obekudalwa indlela abeziphatha ngayo phakathi kwabadlali nakwabezindaba.
Ngokusho kukaBarker eminyakeni edlule, kwaba yiphutha ukuthi abe wumqeqeshi kanobhutshuzwayo kodwa kwagcina sekuyinto aphila ngayo njengoba eqeqeshe iminyaka engu-40.
Ngesikhathi esethi khumu kulo mkhakha ngo-2015, wayeseqeqeshe inqwaba yamaqembu, wadla nezicoco neDurban City, Bush Bucks, Santos naMaZulu FC.
Abadlali bakhe bango-1996, asebengabaqeqeshi nabo, bamchaze njengobekwazi ukwenza uzizwe ungcono kunawo wonke umuntu.
UMkhalele, osekhempini neBafana ezobhekana neMorocco ngoMgqibelo eFNB Stadium kowokugcina kaGroup K kweyokuhlungela i-Afcon yangonyaka ozayo e-Ivory Coast, uthe: “Silahlekelwe siyisizwe kodwa kuzwela kakhulu emkhakheni kanobhutshuzwayo kwazise uBarker kulapho ebegxile khona. Engiyohlale ngikukhumbula ngomqeqeshi wami yizifundo zokubaluleka kokwazi nokuhlonipha bonke abantu ikakhulukazi emsebenzini. Lezi zifundo namanje ngisebenza ngazo kwiBafana futhi ngiyazama ukuzidlulisela kubadlali. Okumqoka kunakho konke engikufunde kuBarker yindlela yokuba umqeqeshi abadlali abangasabi ukukhuluma naye.”
Usonge ngokuthi uyohlale emkhumbula ngamancoko uBarker nangokumvumela ukuthi akajike abantu.
“Benginenhlanhla yokuhlala eduze kwakhe ngakho-ke bengimuzwa ngaso sonke isikhathi engihlohla ukuthi angijike abantu. Lokhu bekungenza ngizizwe ngingcono obekulandelwa yimiphumela emihle.”
UTinkler ukhale esifanayo ngokulahlekelwa kodwa wagxila ekuzwelaneni nomndeni kaBarker.
“Usijabulise sonke esaphila ngentokomalo nokumamatheka ngaso sonke isikhathi kodwa lokhu bekwenza umndeni wakhe ugcine usumbuka kwithelevishini njengawo wonke umuntu.
“Ngifisa baqine baziqhenye ngokuba nobaba obewubaba wethu sonke kwaze kwaba yizinsuku zokugcina,” kusho uTinkler.
UDe Sa uthe: “Kubi kithina sonke singabantu baseNingizimu Afrika. Ubewumngani, ewumqeqeshi wami wakudala aphinde abe umuntu engibukela kuyena.
“Sikhulu isandla sikaBarker kukona konke engikwenze emuva kokudlala ibhola. Ungifundise ubudoda. Ubehlale ekholelwa kwiNingizimu Afrika. Siyohlala simkhumbula ngokuthembela endleleni yokudlala yaseNingizimu Afrika,” kuphetha uDe Sa.