NAKUBA isikhwishikhwishi se-Orlando Pirates, uThalente Mbatha, sikhuluma ngokucophelela ngekusasa laso kodwa kucacela nengane esakhasa ukuthi sifisa iqembu lisithenge ngokuphelele kwiSuperSport United.
UMbatha oyibamba kuthule umoya esiswini, isizini uyisonge ngesitayela enqoba neZimnyama inkomishi yeNedbank Cup, ngempelasonto edlule
Unqobe indeb yokuqala selokhu angena ebholeni elikhokhelayo. Ulime indima enkulu ekutheni eZimnyama zishaye ngo-2-1 iMamelodi Sundowns, kowamanqamu obuseMbombela Stadium. Uwuqale, waphinde wawuqeda umdlalo, waqokwa njengomdlali ovelele wosuku.
Ekuqaleni kwesizini ka-2023/24, iqembu elicijwa nguJose Riveiro, beliqale ngokuvikela iMTN8 njengoba selenza okufanayo kwiNedbank.
UMbatha ufike kweZimnyama ngewindi likaJanuwari. Ubolekiswe yiSuperSport United kuze kube kuphela isizini. Kuvela ukuthi kulokhu kubolekisana kunesivumelwano sokuthi iPirates ingamthenga uma ichazekile.
Isizini isongwe esedlalele eZimnyama ewu-11 yeDStv Premiership. Udlale emihlanu yeNedbank Cup.
Ukudlala ingcwenga yebhola koweSundowns kwenze abanye abalandeli bambona eyiphasile ngamalengiso ‘inhlolokhono’ yokuthi athathwe yiPirates ngokuphelele.
Umqeqeshi uJose Riveiro, usecashunwe kaningi encoma indlela adlala ngayo uMbatha. Ngemuva kokunqoba iNedbank, umdlali ubecophelela uma ebuzwa yizintatheli ngekusasa lakhe kwiPirates nokuthi usathanda yini ukuqhubeka nokuba kuyo?
"Angazi ukuthi iPirates izongigcina noma cha. Ngesikhathi ingiboleka kwiSuperSport kwavunyelwana ngokuthi ingangithenga uma ithanda. Ngingasho ukuthi ngiyathanda ukuqhubeka nokuyidlalela. Inkinga ukuthi akulele ezandleni zami. Ngizozwa ngemenenja yami ukuthi ikusasa lami limi kanjani. Iyona ezohlala ezingxoxweni," kubeka uMbatha.
Ebuzwa ukuthi ukungacaci ngekusasa lakhe akuzange kuphazamise yini emqondweni bebhekene neSundowns, uthe: “Bengidlala ibhola. Benginganakile ukuthi ikusasa lami lisengcupheni. Umsebenzi wami ukudlala ibhola bese owemenenja kube ukungitholela umsebenźi. Noma ngabe ngibuyela kwiSuperSport ngizoqhubeka nokudlala ibhola.”
UMbatha owake wadlalela iHighlands Park, uthe injabulo yangempelasonto edlule ayisoze yaphuma emqondweni wakhe.
"Bekuwumdlalo wekhethelo. Bekungokokuqala ngidlala kowamanqamu. Ngifisa nangesizini ezayo ngiqhubeke nokunqoba izinkomishi. Ukunqoba le nkomishi kuzongigqugquzela ukulwa ukuze ngizoba nekusasa elihle kulo mkhakha webhola. Sidlale ngokubambisana nozakwethu. Ngiyayibongela iPirates," kuqhuba uMbatha.
Uthe nakuba ejabule ngendlela adlale ngayo kule sizini kodwa ukholelwa ekutheni kusamele awenyuse kakhulu amasokisi kunakuqala. Uveze ukuthi usafuna ukushaya inqwaba yamagoli. Selokhu uRiveiro efike kweZimnyama ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini ka-2022/23, usahlulwa ukunqoba isicoco seligi. Kule sizini ubuye washweba neseCarling Black Label Knockout.
UMbatha uchaze ngamafuphi uRiveiro njengomqeqeshi wekhethelo. "Ungumuntu othobekile nozethembayo. Ngaphezu kwakho konke uyakholelwa kubadlali bakhe.“