UCHAYISE iMamelodi Sundowns umdlali wasemuva, u-Olwethu "Tower" Makhanya, osejoyine iPhiladelphia Union kwiMajor League Soccer (MLS), e-United States of America (USA).
UMakhanya (19) waKwaMakhutha, obedlala kwiStellenbosch, umenyezelwe njengomdlali omusha we-Union ngoLwesibili emuva kwamasonto amabili esayine inkontileka naleli qembu.
Usayine iminyaka emibili nohhafu, kunombandela wokuyelula ngeminye iminyaka emibili.
Phakathi kwamaqembu aphesheya kwezilwandle abefuna lesi sitobha ebesisadlale esizini eyodwa kwiDStv Premiership, kukhona elaseBelgium, elaseDenmark nelasePortugal.
EMzansi kuvele ukuthi ubefunwa yiSundowns esanda kuthenga uzakwabo, uJunior Mendieta kwiStellies. AmaBrazilians kuthiwa abethembise iStellies imali nabadlali abathathu ngaphezulu, ukuze athole uMakhanya owine umklomelo weNedbank Cup Most Promising Player ngesizini edlule.
UMakhanya uthe uqoke ukujoyina i-Union ngoba ecabangela amathuba okudlala kwi-English Premier League (EPL).
"Angikakholwa namanje ukuthi ngiyodlala phesheya. Mhlawumbe ngiyokholwa uma sengifike khona. Ngijabule kakhulu. Bengingalindele ukuthi kuzokwenzeka ngokushesha okungaka. Bengizitshela ukuthi ngizoya (phesheya) emuva kwamasizini amabili noma amathathu ngidlala kwiPSL," kusho uMakhanya.
"ISundowns kade ingifuna kodwa ngiqoke ukuya phesheya ngoba bekuvele kuyiphupho lami. Ngibone kungcono ngiqoke ukuya kwiligi iMLS ngenxa yokuthi baningi abadlali abasuka khona baye kwi-EPL. Ngakho nami amaqembu azongibona kalula.
Ngeke kufane nokuthi ngidlala kwiPSL. Kuyiphupho lami ukuyodlala kwi-EPL. Ngakho ukudlala kwiMLS kuzongisondeza kulona."
UMakhanya ujoyine iStellenbosch ekupheleni kwesizini ka-2021/2022, esuka eqenjini leDStv Diski Challenge leMarumo Gallants.
Ngesizini ka-2022/2023, udlale imidlalo eyisihlanu eqenjini leDiski leStellies ngaphambi kokunyuselwa esikimini esikhulu.
Umdlalo okuthiwa ovulele uMakhanya iminyango ngoweNedbank Cup lapho bekhiphe khona iSundowns. Kulo mdlalo wayemake isethenjwa uPeter Shalulile.
UMakhanya uthe umuntu ozibize ngeSport Consultant yeMLS uchazekile ngaye, waqala ukumfunela iqembu kuleya ligi.
KwiMLS uzobhekana nabadlali abaphezulu okukhona kubona isihlabani somhlaba, uLionel Messi, esisanda kujoyina i-Inter Miami kaDavid Beckham.
I-Union isendaweni yesithathu kwi-log ye-Eastern Conference. KwiMLS, uMakhanya uzojoyina abanye abadlali baseMzansi, okunguNjabulo Blom (St Louis City), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota), Katlego Ntsabeleng ( FC Dallas). UCassius Mailula kulindeleke ukuthi amenyezelwe yiToronto FC.
"Kunginika ithemba ukuthi bakhona abadlali baseMzansi abadlala kwiMLS futhi benza kahle njengoBlom noHlongwane. Ngizimisele nami ukuyosebenza kanzima, ngiqhubekele phambili.
Abe-Union bafuna ngifike ngokushesha ukuze ngibe ngijwayela. Bayangidinga. Bakhala ngokuthi abadlali abaqhamuka e-Afrika bathatha isikhathi eside ukujwayela kuleya ligi. Yikho befuna ngifike manje nakuba isizini yakhona isizophela. I-Union ngibonile ukuthi iyiqembu elikhulu," kusho uMakhanya.