XOLILE MPISANE
UNGENISWE esibhedlela ngenxa yokugula umdlali wakuleli uLuther Singh, ogijima eqenjini laseDenmark, iFC Copenhagen.
USingh (24) usayine kuleli qembu ngo-Agasti ephuma kwi-SC Braga yasePortugal. Ngesizini eyedlule ubebolekiswe kwi-Pacos de Ferreira, khona ePortugal, washaya amagoli amahlanu emidlalweni engu-30 waphinde wakhanda amanye amahlanu.
Emasontweni ambalwa edlule, leli phephandaba like labika ukuthi lo mdlali uyalelwe ngumqeqeshi weqembu lakhe elisha, uJess Thorup, ukuthi ehlise isisindo ngemuva kokuthi ehlelwe yifomu emidlalweni embalwa ayidlalile kuleli qembu.
Ngempelasonto, iCopenhagen ikhiphe isitatimende iqinisekisa ukuthi ungeniswe esibhedlela kodwa kayidalulanga ukuthi uphethwe yini?
"Umdlali wethu waseNingizimu Afrika, uLuther Singh, ulaliswe esibhedlela ngemuva kokugula," kusho isitatimende esikwi-website yeCopenhagen.
"Usale waxineka kakhulu ngesikhathi singekho siyodlala ne-PAOK eGreece. Ube esengeniswa esibhedlela ukuze ahlolwe kabanzi.
"Siyiqembu simfisela ukuthi alulame kahle. Akukho okunye esizophawula ngakho okwamanje."
UFarouk Khan, okunguyena owathola uSingh esaneminyaka engu-11 wamfaka esikhungweni sokucija abadlali iStars of Africa Academy, uthe lezi zindaba bezingakafiki kuyena kwazise sekudlule isikhashana agcina ukuxoxa nalo mdlali.
"Bengingazi ukuthi uyagula, ngiyaqala ukuzwa ngalokhu. Ngizomthinta ngizwe ukuthi kuqhubekani?" kusho uKhan. "Empeleni sekunesikhashana sagcina ukuxoxa ngoba bengisamnika ithuba lokuthi ajwayele eqenjini lakhe elisha.
"Ngike ngayifunda imibiko mayelana nesisindo okumele asehlise nangendlela agxekwe ngayo yizintatheli zaseDenmark ezithile kodwa angiluthathelanga phezulu lolo daba.
"Ngicabangile ukuthi uke waphazamiseka ngesikhathi elungisa indaba yamaphepha akhe okuhamba kodwa bengingangabazi ukuthi uzosebenza kanzima aze afinyelele ezingeni elilindelekile kuyena ngoba akayena umdlali oyivila."
UKhan, osengumeluleki kaSingh futhi omthatha njengendodana yakhe, uthe ulindele ukuthi lo mdlali aqhubeke nokulwela ijezi kwiCopenhagen uma eseluleme futhi aphinde alwele nendawo yakhe eqenjini lesizwe iBafana Bafana. USingh uke wabizwa esikwatini somqeqeshi weBafana phambilini uHugo Broos kodwa usale ngaphandle kwesakamuva.
"Selokhu kwathi nhlo iphupho lakhe ukumela isizwe emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu. Ngisho esakhula abadlali abebukela kubona bekungabadlali abadlalele iNingizimu Afrika emiqhudelwaneni efana ne-Africa Cup of Nations neNdebe yoMhlaba," kusho uKhan.
"Okusemqoka ukuthi alulame futhi abe sesimeni esifanele ngokomzimba. Kuzodingeka futhi ukuthi abe sesimeni esihle ngokomqondo ukuze amelane nengcindezi. Kuningi okulindelwe kuyena kodwa siyazi ukuthi isiphiwo unaso.
"Umqeqeshi weBafana uHugo Broos usekhombisile ukuthi uzimisele ukusebenzisana nabadlali abasebancane futhi uSingh ungumdlali ambhekile. Akumele adikibale njengoba engafakwanga esikwatini sokugcina.
"Okubalulekile njengamanje yimpilo kodwa ngemuva kwalokho konke kuzobe sekusezandleni zakhe. Uma engasebenza ngokuzikhandla, nokuyinto engimazela yona, uzowafeza amaphupho akhe eDenmark aphinde afeze iphupho lokumela iNingizimu Afrika kwi-Afcon nakwiNdebe yoMhlaba njengoba eselifezile elokudlala kuma-Olympic," kuphetha uKhan.