USAZOZIBONAKALISA ukuthi kumfanele ukuba yingxenye yeKaizer Chiefs umdlali wasesiswini odabuka KwaZulu-Natal, uSibongiseni “Ox” UMthethwa ngokusho komqeqeshi obemcija kwiStellenbosch FC, uSteve Barker.
UMthethwa (29), uthengwe ezasePhefeni kwiStellies ngoSepthemba, esayina inkontileka yeminyaka emithathu naleli qembu.
Ubesedlale isizini nohhafu kwiStellenbosch kusukela ayijoyina ekuqaleni kuka-2021,ephuma kwiBlack Leopards. Phambilini, wake wadlala isikhashana nakwiRoyal Eagles.
Yize kwathatha isikhathi eside ukuthi angene ebholeni elikhokhelayo njengoba aqala kwi-Eagles eseneminyaka engu-26, kumthathe isikhathi esincane ukuthi athengwe ngelinye lamaqembu amakhulu kuleli aphinde afakwe nakwelesizwe, iBafana Bafana.
UBarker uthe usalindele lukhulu kulo mdlali ongakahlanganisi nemidlalo engu-10 eqenjini lakhe elisha.
"Useqenjini elikhulu. Uqhamuke kwiBlack Leopards wajoyina iStellenbosch, usethathe igxathu elikhulu. Kusobala ukuthi usengaphansi kwengcindezi ethe xaxa kodwa uzogqama. Ungumuntu oqotho futhi uqinile ngokomqondo. Uma esezinzile eqenjini futhi eseyijwayele indlela elidlala ngayo uzolibonakalisa kakhulu ikhono lakhe. Nginesiqiniseko sokuthi uzokwenza kahle,“ kusho uBarker.
UMthethwa oyibamba esiswini, ungomunye wabadlali abebethathwa njengezinsika zeStellies abashiye leli qembu eminyakeni embalwa edlule. Abanye nguJunior Mendieta othengwe yiMamelodi Sundowns, u-Ashley du Preez noZitha Kwinika, abathathwa yiChiefs.
Noma kunjalo, uBarker kubukeka ekwazile ukuvala izikhala zabo ngabadlali abasebancane asebeqalile ukutholela leli qembu imiphumeka emihle.
IStellies isendaweni yesikhombisa kwi-log yeDStv Premiership ngamaphuzu angu-17 emidlalweni engu-12 kulandela kunqoba kwayo AmaZulu FC ngo 1-0 eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngempelasonto.
Isasethubeni lokuba yiqembu lokuqala ukuphakamisa indebe yeCarling Black Label Knockout njengoba izodudulana neRichards Bay kowandulela owamanqamu ngoMgqibelo.
UBarker uthe nakuba kuliphazamisa iqembu ukulahlekelwa abadlali asebevuthiwe, kusemqoka ukuthi lizame ukuvala izikhala zabo ukuze liqhubekele phambili.
"Uma ungaphandle ungabona sengathi kulula ukuqhubeka, kodwa akunjalo, kunzima. Into ebalulekile ukukholelwa kubadlali osuke kunabo. Uma ulahlekelwa umdlali kufanele ubeke ithemba lakho komunye. USihle Nduli ungene khaxa endaweni ebidlalwa nguMthethwa futhi udlala kahle kakhulu. Sithole noDarrel Matsheke naye ofike wenza umehluko," uBarker uchaze kanje.
"Ngihlale ngibatshela abadlali ukuthi bazowathola amathuba futhi uma sekwenzeka lokho kumele kubafice bezilungiselele. Lihle izinga lokuncintisana ngaphakathi eqenjini. Uma umdlali ehamba kungena omunye futhi naye usuke azi ukuthi omunye ongemva kwakhe ozobanga ijezi.“
Iqembu elincane leStellies selikhiqize inqwaba yabadlali asebezinzile eqenjini elikhulu njengoJayden Adams, Devin Titus, Antonio van Wyk, Roy-Keane Avontuur nabanye.