INSIKA yeMamelodi Sundowns neBafana Bafana, uThemba “Mshishi” Zwane, izibona ihamba ezinyathelweni zezihlabani zasePortugal, uPepe noChristiano Ronaldo ngokudlala isikhathi eside esigabeni esiphezulu nakuba sebebadala.
UZwane (34) usephenduke ithemba leSundowns neBafana nakuba iningi belizitshela ukuthi usezoya ngokukhathala njengoba esefike eminyakeni okuphela kuyona abadlali abaningi eMzansi. Ebholeni lomhlaba, baningi abadlali abadlala iminyaka eminingi futhi lokhu kubhekwa ngendlela ehlukile nokubhekwa ngayo kuleli. Emqhudelwaneni we-Euro oqhubekayo eGermany, umhlaba kade ubuka isitobha, uPepe (41) nomgadli uRonaldo (39) beyibambile eqenjini lesizwe lasePortugal elikhishwe yiFrance kuma-quarterfinal.
Ngesikhathi umqeqeshi weBafana, uHugo Broos, enikwa izintambo zokucija iqembu lesizwe kwahlukana imibono engambizi uZwane nakuba eshisa engabaselwe. Lo mqeqeshi wakhala ngokushiywa yiminyaka kwalo mdlali waseTembisa, eGauteng. Nokho uBroos wabuye washintsha umqondo, wambiza. Nebala wafika waba nesandla ekutheni iBafana iqede endaweni yesithathu kwi-African Cup of Nations (Afcon), ekuqaleni konyaka, e-Ivory Coast.
ISundowns isanda kuvuselela inkontileka kaZwane ngonyaka, ehambisana nombandela wokuyivuselela ngomunye. Imenenja kaZwane, uJazzman Mahlakgane, ithe uZwane uzimisele ukudlala eminye iminyaka futhi uzibona esazoshisa engabaselwe emasizinini amabili azayo.
"Abantu akumele banake ukuthi umdlali uneminyaka emingaki, ababheke indlela adlala ngayo. UZwane uwulolu hlobo olungakhunjuzwa ngokuya ejimini. Uhlala efunda izincwadi zebhola ukuze athuthukise ulwazi lwakhe ngebhola lesimanje. Ubufakazi balokhu izimanga azenza kwiSundowns nakuBafana. Uma ngikhuluma naye ungitshela ukuthi uzibona esazowugcina amasizini amabili lo mgqigqo anawo. Uthi uzizwa engathi useneminyaka ewu-21. Uzifanisa noPepe noRonaldo abasenza izimanga nakuba iminyaka seyihambile," kubeka uMahlakgane.
Uqhube wathi: "Into enhle ngaye ukuthi akayena umuntu okhonze ubumnandi. Umzimba wakhe uyawunakekela, yingakho ewumdlali eseqophelweni eliphezulu".
UZwane usehlale amasizini awu-13 kwiSundowns eyamthola kuValdos yangakubo eTembisa. Wake wabolekiswa kwiMpumalanga Black Aces eyayiqeqeshwa uClive Barker ongasekho emhlabeni. Lo mqeqeshi wathi uZwane umkhumbuza uDoctor Khumalo.
UMahlakgane ubuye waveza ukuthi abadlali bakhe abangenamaqembu, maduze bazowuthola umsebenzi. Laba ngoSiphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya ochithwe yiSekhukhune United, uGiven Mashinyika obekwiPolokwane City, uTrevor Mathiane nonozinti uCyril Chibwe abachithwe yiBaroka.