UKUSHAYA igoli eliwinise iKaizer Chiefs kwiStellenbosch akubuzwa ukuthi kumfake ezinhliziyweni zabalandeli baMakhosi umdlali omusha, uGlody Lilepo, waseDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
IChiefs ibuye namaphuzu amathathu eKapa emuva kokwehlula iStellenbosch ngo 1-0 emdlalweni weBetway Premiership ngoLwesihlanu. Lokhu kunikeze umqeqeshi, uNasreddine Nabi, intuba yokuphefumula kwazise bebephuma esibhaxwini se-Orlando Pirates sika 1-0 nokubanjwa ngaMaZulu ngo 2-2 maphakathi nesonto eledlule.
Ngaphandle kokushaya igoli eliwinise iChiefs koweStellies, uLilepo uqokwe njengomdlali ovelele kulo mdlalo. Nakuba esadlale imidlalo emithathu kwiChiefs kodwa abalandeli sebeqalile ukumncoma nokuthakasela ukuba khona kwakhe esikimini sikaNabi. Lo mdlali okuthiwa uthengwe ngo-R13 million kwiValenciennes yaseFrance. ULilepo unengcindezi yokuhamba ezinyathelweni zabadlali baseDRC abaphenduke izilomo zabalandeli eNaturena eminyakeni edlule, okukhona kubona uKabamba Musasa, Emeka Mamale nonozinti u-Eshele Botende owavimbela iChiefs phakathi kuka-1994 no-1996.
UMusasa wadlalela Amakhosi kusukela ku-2002 kuya-2005 esuka kwiSt Eloi Lupopo yangakubo eyayifike eMzansi izodlala emqhudelwaneni iVodacom Challenge. Umdlali wakamuva waseDRC odlalele iChiefs, nguChristian Saile obolekiswe kwiSuperSport United ngenhloso yokuvula isikhala sikaLilepo. Nakuba uSaile “elingcolisile” irekhodi elihle labadlali baseDRC eNaturena kodwa kubukeka uLilepo ezoligeza ngemuva kwemidlalo embalwa.
Ngemuva komdlalo neStellies, uLilepo uthe uzimisele ngokusebenza kanzima eNaturena.
“Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ngizinza kahle lapha. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuza lapha, ngithathe amasonto ambalwa ngibuka imidlalo yeChiefs ukuze ngazi abadlali ngokushesha. Ngesikhathi ngifika lapha bengivele sengazi uhlobo lwabadlali esinalo. IKaizer Chiefs iyiqembu elikhulu. Uma udlalela iqembu elikhulu kanje kudingeka usebenze ngokuzikhandla zonke izinsuku,” kusho uLilepo kwiSupersport.
Ngaphandle kukaLilepo, abanye abadlali abasha kwiChiefs uTashreeq Morris noThabo Cele, sebeqalile ukuthola indawo esikimini sikaNabi esiqala imidlalo. UNabi ubancomile abadlali abasha.
“Ngaso sonke isikhathi uma usayinisa abadlali abasha kufanele uphenyisise ukuze uthole ofanele eqenjini lakho. Sibona ukuthi sikwenzile lokhu ukuze sithole abadlali abazosisiza ngokushesha ngoba ngewindi likaDisemba/Januwari, udinga abadlali abakulungele ukusiza zisuka, akulona iwindi elikhulu. Sikholwa wukuthi uLilepo akakaqali ngoba siyazi ukuthi angenza okungaphezulu kwalokhu akwenzayo,” kusho uNabi.
Amakhosi azobuyela ensimini isiyobhekana neChippa United emdlalweni we-Last 16 yeNedbank Cup eFNB Stadium ngoMgqibelo, ngo-6 ebusuku.