ONGUMDLALI wasohlangothini lwesokunxele kwiTS Galaxy, uLindokuhle Mbatha, uthi phezu kweminyaka yakhe yobudala usazizwa engumshini njengoba efuna ukudlala aze afike eminyakeni engaphezulu kuka-40 futhi usazimisele ngokuwina isicoco ngaphambi kokuwagaxa emgibeni.
UMbatha ozohlanganisa iminyaka engu-39 ngoJuni 25, nguyena noBernard Parker naye ona-38 njengamanje abadlali abadala kunabo bonke kwiTS Galaxy njengoba uVuyo Mere (40) ememezele ukuthi usewagaxa emgibeni amakhokho.
Njengoba inkontileka yakhe iphela ngoJuni 30, uMbatha utshele Isolezwe Ngempelasonto ukuthi uzobe eyingxenye yaleli qembu ngesizini ezayo njengoba abaphathi beqembu bethembisa ukumnika enye inkontileka.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi ngiseyingxenye yeqembu. Umqeqeshi uSead (Ramovic) uthe usangidinga eqenjini nangesizini ezayo.
“Njengoba inkontileka yami iphela ekupheleni kwale nyanga (Juni) iqembu lithembise ukunginika enye inkontileka. Maduze nje ngizohlangana nabaphathi mayelana nenkontileka yami entsha,” kusho uMbatha, odabuka eNaas Farm, eNewcastle.
“Angikayicabangi eyokubeka amakhokho ethala, ngisazizwa ngiwumshini futhi ngisengadlala amanye amasizini ngize ngifike eminyakeni yaleliya khehla laseJapan elina-57 (uKazuyoshi Miuri) elisadlala namanje (esho ephela yinsini). Ngiyoliyeka ibhola mhla ngavuka ekuseni ngizwa umzimba ungasavumi.
“Sengidlale amasizini amane kwiTS Galaxy futhi ngikholwa wukuthi yilona qembu esengiyothathela kulona umhlalaphansi ebholeni, ngakho isifiso sami ukuthi okungenani ngilishiye nendebe noma eyodwa nje.
“Ngesizini edlule isiphunyuke kancane indebe yeCarling Knockout sishaywa yiStellenbosch kowamanqamu. Nginethemba lokuthi ngesizini ezayo kukhona esingakuwina,” kuqhuba uMbatha odlale imidlalo engu-24 kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano ngesizini edlule ka-2023/24.
UKazuyoshi Miura waseJapan, oneminyaka engu-57 ubudala nodlalela i-Oliveirense yasePortugal, nguyena mdlali ophethe irekhodi lokuba ngomdala kunabo bonke emhlabeni odlala ibhola elikhokhelayo.
I-The Rockets izobe idlala okokuqala emqhudelwaneni weMTN 8 ngesizini ezayo ka-2024/25 kulandela ukuqeda kwayo endaweni yesithupha kwi-log yeDStv Premiership.
UMbatha oqale ukudlala ibhola elikhokhelayo ngo-2006 kwiCity Pillars kwiNational First Division (Motsepe Foundation Championship), uqale ukugqama kwiMpumalanga Black Aces, wadlulela kwiPlatinum Stars anqoba nayo izicoco ezimbili zeMTN 8 neTelkom Knockout ngesizini ka-2012/2013.
Wathi qu kwiMamelodi Sundowns, ngaphambi kokujoyina iHighlands Park eyadayiswa ngo-2020 yathenga wuTim Sukazi ongumphathi weTS Galaxy.