ITHEMBISA ukuletha intuthuko eqenjini lesizwe laseKenya inkakha yakuleli, uBenni McCarthy, yize ibuye nephuzu emidlalweni yayo emibili yokuqala selokhu inikwe isikhundla sokuliqeqesha.
UMcCarthy umenyezelwe njengomqeqeshi omusha weHarambee Stars ngasekuqaleni kwephezulu, ethatha izintambo kuFrancis Kimanzi owabanjiswa ngemuva kokushiya kuka-Engin Firat nyakenye.
Phambilini, ubeyiphini lo mqeqeshi eqenjini laseBelgium, iSint-Truiden, waba yinhloko yabaqeqeshi emaqenjini amabili akuleli, iCape Town City naMaZulu FC.
Ubegcine ukusebenza eqenjini lase-England, iManchester United, ayibambe kulona kusukela ngo-2022 kuya ku–2024, eyiphini lomqeqeshi, u-Erik ten Hag.
Uqale uhambo lwakhe nelesizwe laseKenya ngemidlalo yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba lapho libambane khona ngo 3-3 neGambia ngoLwesine, lanqotshwa yiGabon ngo 2-1 ngeSonto.
"Ngisanda kufika kuleli qembu, akukho okutheni ongakushintsha ezinsukwini ezimbalwa. Isonto elilodwa alanele. Le midlalo ibiyinselelo kodwa ngibonga indlela abalandeli abaseseke ngayo,” kusho uMcCarthy esithangamini nabezindaba ekhasini iKTN News Kenya kwiYouTube.
“Angisoze ngakukhohlwa engikubone enkundleni ngesikhathi sidlalela ikhaya. Ngidlale iminyaka e-Europe kodwa lokhu ngikubala nezinto ezikhethekile engake ngaba yingxenye yazo. Yilokhu esithanda ukukubona ebholeni lase-Afrika. Kube yishwa ukuthi abalandeli asizange sibajabulise ngokuwunqoba umdlalo.”
Ukucosha iphuzu emidlalweni emibili kuyishiye esimweni esingesihle iKenya njengoba isendaweni yesine kuGroup F ngamaphuzu ayisithupha emidlalweni eyisithupha.
Isele ngamaphuzu ayishumi eqenjini eliqhwakele, i-Ivory Coast. Ihlukaniswe ngamaphuzu ayisishiyagalolunye kwiGabon esendaweni yesibili.
EzikaMcCarthy zidinga ukuqoqa inqwaba yamaphuzu emidlalweni emine esele ukuze zizibeke ethubeni lokungena eNdebeni yoMhlaba okokuqala ngqa emlandweni.
“Engingakuthembisa abalandeli wukuthi sizothuthuka, sizoba ngcono kakhulu. Bazoba neqembu abangaziqhenya ngalo. Besifuna ukuwunqoba umdlalo wethu wasekhaya noma sithole okungenani iphuzu kodwa kwangenzeka. Sisazoqhubeka nokusebenza.”
Imidlalo elandelayo yeKenya kweyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba izoyidlala neGambia kanye neSeychelles ekhaya ngoSepthemba.
Uma ingathatha amaphuzu aphelele kuyona yomibili, lingabuya ithemba ngaphambi kokudlala eyokugcina yokuhlunga ngo-Okthoba neBurundi kanye ne-Ivory Coast.