USIHLALO weDurban City, uFarouk Kadodia, usekuqinisekisile ukuthi seligqitshiwe igama leMaritzburg United njengoba leli qembu selibizwa ngegama elisha eseliphasiswe nayiPremier Soccer League (PSL) ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini ka-2024/2025 yeMotsepe Foundation Championship.
ICity, ezosebenzisa iChatsworth Stadium eseThekwini njengenkundla yayo yasekhaya, izovula isizini ngokutholana phezulu neCasric Stars ngoLwesihlanu ngo-7.30 ebusuku.
Ngesonto eledlule leli phephandaba libike ngabebengabalandeli beMaritzburg United bezwakalisa ilaka labo ngokufudukela kwaleli qembu eThekwini kodwa bathi bazoqhubeka nokuleseka ngisho selishintshe negama.
UKadodia utshele Isolezwe ukuthi bafuna ukubuyisa isasasa lemidlalo yangoLwesihlanu ebusuku eyayaziwa nge“Friday Night Lights” eyayisifana nosikompilo kubalandeli baleli qembu eHarry Gwala Stadium eMgungundlovu.
“YiDurban City ezalwe kabusha lena. Sifuna ukuyibona yenza ezibukwayo ebholeni laKwaZulu-Natal naseNingizimu Afrika jikelele.
Sifuna ukwakha ubuhlobo obusha nabathandi bebhola baseThekwini namaphethelo. Sinethemba lokuthi bazokwenza inkundla yethu entsha yasekhaya, iChatsworth Stadium, ibe yinkundla okungayi lubuyayo kuyona,” kusho uKadodia obe esecacisa ngobunikazi beDurban City.
IDurban City yayiyiqembu elalaziwa kakhulu ngeminyaka yo-1980 elakhiqiza inqwaba yabadlali abanegama okubalwa kubona uRodney Kitchen, uMark noNeil Tovey owagcina engukaputeni weBafana Bafana neKaizer Chiefs.
“Igama iDurban City belibhalisiwe ngokusemthethweni nobekungasivimba ekulisebenziseni,” usho kanje uKadodia ngamafuphi.
Umdonsiswano obusudonse isikhathi eside phakathi kukaKododia nobuholi bukaMasipala uMsunduzi ngendaba yokusetshenzisa kwenkundla, iHarry Gwala, eseMgungundlovu, yiwona obe yimbangela enkulu yokufuduka kwaleli qembu.
Waqala ngemuva kokugawulwa yizemba kwaleli qembu kwiPremiership ekupheleni kwesizini ka-2022/23, lehlela kwiChampionship. Emuva kwalokho ayibange isakwazi ukusebenzisa iHarry Gwala esisetshenziswa yiRoyal AM edlala kwiBetway Premiership. I-AM iyona esinesivumelwano noMasipala uMsunduzi.
“Uyaqala manje umsebenzi zibekwa nje ebhandeni. Siyalethemba ithimba lethu labaqeqeshi eliholwa nguSimo Dladla nephini lakhe, uPitso Dladla, ekuyiseni leli qembu phambili. Injongo yethu enkulu wukubuyisela iqembu kwiPremiership, nesikholwa wukuthi izofezeka ngokwesekwa ngabalandeli bethu ekhaya lethu elisha eThekwini,” kusho uKododia.