KUNESILILO ngesikhala esishiywe ngobengumgqugquzeli wabalandeli beMamelodi Sundowns, u-Alex Shakoane, odlule emhlabeni ngesonto eledlule ngemuva kokugula.
Inkonzo yokugcina kaShakoane ibingoLwesibili, eMamelodi International Assemblies of God, ePitoli.
Kufundwe nencwadi ebithunyelwe ngumengameli weFifa, uGianno Infantino, obedlulisa amazwi enduduzo ngokushona kukaShakoane. Umufi ubebuye abizwe ngelika-Goldfinger ngenxa yokuthi ubejwayele ukugqoka uxhaha lwezindandatho kanye nemigexo yegolide.
“U-Alex ubenothando oluyisimanga. Hhayi olweMamelodi Sundowns kuphela kodwa olwebhola nolwabantu. Ubengumuntu okwaziyo ukufunda abantu. Kwesinye isikhathi bengibona sengathi ungazi ngaphezu kwendlela engizazi ngayo. Bengibuye ngingathandi ukuhlala eduze kwakhe enkundleni ngoba ubekwazi ukungifunda ebusweni uma izinto zingahambi kahle,” kusho obengumengameli weMamelodi Sundowns, uDkt Patrice Motsepe, osengumemgameli weConfederation of African Football (Caf).
“Ubeyithanda iSundowns futhi eyivikela ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ubethanda ukuthi konke okuhle nokusha kuqhamuke naleli qembu. Ngifisa ukuthi lowo mqondo usabalale kuwona wonke amaqembu akuleli kanye nezwekazi yonkana i-Afrika.”
UShakoane uchazwe njengomuntu obeyinqolobane yolwazi uma kukhulunywa ngeSundowns, futhi kuzoba nzima ukuthi isikhala sakhe sivaleke. Waqala ukusebenza kuleli qembu ngeminyaka yo-1970
“Ubaba uShakoane uwumele umndeni wakhe, wayimela neMamelodi Sundowns kwaze kwasekugcineni. Engikufundile kuyena inhlonipho, ukuziphatha, nokuhola ngobuqotho. Ubenganaki ukuthi uneminyaka emingaki noma unjani ngebala ngoba ubenobuntu,” kusho owayengukaputeni weSundowns, uHlompho Kekana.
“Uma sifuna ulwazi ngeqembu singabadlali besiqonda ngqo, kuyena. Ubesixoxela izinto esingazazi ngeqembu futhi obungeke uzithole kunoma ngubani.”
Obekhulumela abadlali beSundowns, unozinti uKennedy Mweene uthe: “Uma ufika emasangweni aseChloorkop, ubuhlangana noShakoane. Ubefika kuqala futhi ubengumuntu wesikhathi. Uma iqembu lingenzi kahle ubeza ngqo, kubadlali azobeluleka. Abadlali abazofika eqenjini engasekho baneshwa ngoba ngeke besaluthola ulwazi nempatho abebezokuthola kuyena.”
Esinye sezikhulu zeSundowns, uTrott Moloto, sithe: “Ngaqala ukwazana noShakoane ngifika kwiSundowns ngeminyaka yango-1983, ngingomunye wabadlali abebezosiza iqembu livike izembe. Kwathi iqembu liqala ukuthuthuka naye waqala ukukhombisa ugazi lwakhe nolwazi lwakhe ukuthuthukisa ibhola lakuleli. OShakoane, noLouis Tshakoane oke wakhuluma kulesi siteji, badlala indima enkulu ekumaketheni ibhola laseNingizimu Afrika, kwamanye amazwe, naphesheya imbala. Sithemba ukuthi nabalandelayo bazoqhubeka nokwenza lo msebenzi ngokuzimisela.”