OWAYENGUNOZINTI waMaZulu FC neLamontville Golden Arrows, uSiyabonga “Nqaba” Mbatha, uthi usakulangazelele ukudlala ibhola esigabeni esikhokhelayo phezu kokuthi kuphele isizini edlule engenalo iqembu.
UMbatha (35) owaqala ukugqama kwiThanda Royal Zulu (engasekho) eyayidlala kwiNational First Division (esiyiMotsepe Foundation Championship), udlale kuMaZulu amasizini amane kusuka ngesizini ka-2017/18 kuya ku-2020/21.
Wabe eseya kwiGolden Arrows phakathi kuka-2021/22 no-2022/23, okuyilapho ebelizwa ngendaba ijezi. Wadlala imidlalo eyisithupha kuphela amasizini amabili kuleli qembu. Ube eselishiya ekupheleni kwesizini ka-2022/23.
Nakuba ngesizini edlule eke wayamaniswa namaqembu okubalwa kuwo iCape Town Spurs neSekhukhune United kodwa kalibanga bikho elimsayinisayo uMbatha.
“Ngisazimisele kakhulu ngokubuyela enkundleni. Ngiqede isizini yonke ngingadlali kodwa ngesizini ezayo nginethemba lokuthi ngizolithola iqembu.
Yize bengingenalo iqembu kule sizini esanda kuphela (ka2023/24), bengiziqeqesha ukuzigcina ngifithi,” kusho uMbatha.
“Likhona iqembu leDStv Premiership engixoxisana nalo, neselingimemile ukuthi ngizoqala ukuziqeqesha nalo.
Ngenxa yokuthi sekunesikhathi ngagcina ukudlala, leli qembu (angathandi ukulidalula) lifuna ukuthi ngiziqeqeshe kuqala nalo ngaphambi kokuba lingisayinise.“
Ngenkathi exoxa neSolezwe muva nje ehambele umdlalo weRichards Bay FC ne-University of Pretoria wePSL Promotion/Relegation Play-Off, uMbatha uyichithile eyokuthi kungenzeka avumbuke kwiRichards Bay.
“Cha, lutho (ehleka) akuyona iRichards Bay engixoxa nayo futhi akulona iqembu lalapha KwaZulu-Natal. Ngisakulangazele kakhulu ukudlala ibhola esigabeni esikhokhelayo. Ngikholwa wukuthi liselikhulu iqhaza engisengalibamba ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika, uma nje ngingaphinda ngithole elinye ithuba.”
UMbatha ongomunye wonozinti abanekhono, ubalwa nonozinti abahlushwa wukuzimuka nokukhomba ukuthi kuzofanele nakanjani asebenze ngokuphindiwe ekuziqeqesheni kwakhe ukuze akwazi ukuthola enye inkontileka eqenjini lePremiership.