KUTHATHE isikhathi ukuthi amukelwe ngabadlali abanesipiliyoni kwiMamelodi Sundowns umqeqeshi, uRhulani Mokwena, ophenduke iqhawe eyiwinisa indebe ye-African Football League (AFL) ngempelasonto edlule.
Kunabanye abalandeli bebhola kuleli abangayizwa indaba kaMokwena ngenxa yezinkulumo zakhe. Kukhona abakhala ngokuthi ungunontandakubukwa. Kungenzeka futhi ukuthi ‘akathandeki’ ngenxa yokuthi uqeqesha iqembu elishaya kwasani, ekubeni kungelona elinabalandeli abaningi.
Akufihliwe ukuthi ukukhonya kweSundowns kuncishe injabulo abalandeli beKaizer Chiefs ne-Orlando Pirates okungamaqemu esekwa kakhulu eMzansi. Baningi abangamqondi uMokwena osebuya ihlandla lesibili eChloorkop. Kodwa ukuwina kwakhe i-AFL kungenzeka kushintshe abaningi imiqondo. Ugxekwa nangokuzenza uPep Guardiola weManchester City njengoba kukhona asebemethe elika-Pep Light.
Owayeyisitobha samaBrazilians, uThabo Nthethe, uthe uMokwena ungumqeqeshi omuhle kodwa nabo abajabulanga ngesikhathi enikwa ithuba eseyiphini kumqeqeshi uPitso Mosimane ejimini. UNthethe ubeseqenjini leSundowns eliwine indebe yeCaf Champions League ngo-2016.
“Ngendlela engimazi ngayo, ngoba abantu bayashintsha, ungumuntu ozithathayo iziyalo uma umbonisa. Ungumqeqeshi olangazelele ukufunda, athole izinto ezintsha, ikakhulukazi mayelana nokulungiselela iqembu nokuliqeqesha. KwiSundowns bekunguyena, uManqoba (Mngqithi) noPitso.
“Ngikhumbula ngesikhathi uPitso emnika ithuba lokuqeqesha ejimini. Ngalolo suku sasingajabule singabadlali abadala ngoba sasilindele ukuthi kube nguManqoba. Kodwa sasingazi ukuthi baxoxile noma cha,” kusho uNthethe.
“Ngesikhathi siqhubeka sijima ngaphansi kukaRhulani, uManqoba wayemile yedwa ngakolunye uhlangothi. Ngakho kwasicacela ukuthi lokhu ebesikucabanga kuyiqiniso. Kwakungokokuqala emi yedwa uManqoba, uRhulani eqeqesha iqembu. Kodwa ungumqeqeshi ozimisele ngokufunda izinto ezintsha ezihambisana nebhola lesimanje.”
Ezinkulumeni zakhe uMokwena ukusho kaningi ukuthi abantu bathi akanampilo ngenxa yokuthi isikhathi sakhe sonke usichitha ebuka noma ehlaziya imidlalo. Uhambela nemidlalo yeziteki yaselokishini.
“Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi waya kwiBarcelona ehanjiswa yiSundowns. Bamthumela khona ukuze ayobona indlela eziqeqesha ngayo. Waya e-England futhi kwiLiverpool ukuze ayothola ulwazi. Ngakho ungumqeqeshi omuhle oletha izinto ezintsha ngaso sonke isikhathi. Uyakwazi futhi ukusebenzisa abadlali,” kusho uNthethe.
UNthethe uphawule ngokukhulumise abaningi ezinyangeni ezedlule, uMokwena ehlala kwi-coolerbox, phambi kwebhentshi lakhe komunye umdlalo weSundowns.
“Kwesinye isikhathi angiqondi uma umqeqeshi ehlala ngaphambi kwebhentshi, afulathele abantu. Uma iphini lakho lifuna ukukucebisa, kufanele lize kuwena? Kwesinye isikhathi angiqondi. Kodwa angicabangi ukuthi sizothanda konke akwenzayo. Kukhona izinto azozenza abantu abazophikisana nazo futhi bazibuze ukuthi kwenzekani. Ungumqeqeshi osemncane futhi ozokwenza kahle,” kuphetha uNthethe.