IZINGWEVU zebhola namabhuku omlando ayakufakazela ukuthi iKwaZulu-Natal ithathwa njengekhaya lebhola likanobhutshuzwayo.
Lokho kufakazelwa wukuthi namaqembu amadala kunawo wonke emlandweni webhola laseNingizimu Afrika, avutshelwa kulesi sifundazwe.
IDurban Bush Bucks, ne-African Wanderers, okungamaqembu ahlakazeka kepha ayesungulwe ngo-1902, nango-1906 ngokwehlukana.
Eligini yokuqala kazwelonke yebhola elikhokhelayo eyayixube izinhlanga abamnyama, amaNdiya namakhaladi, eyayaziwa ngeSouth African Soccer League (SASL), kwakukhonya iqembu laseThekwini, elalaziwa nge-Avalon Athletic. Yize iligi yasungulwa ngo-1961, kepha yasebenza iminyaka emihlanu nje.
I-Avalon eyayibophele izingwazi okubalwa oDharam Mohan, Selby “Scara” Wanda, Cedric “Sugar Ray” Xulu ukubala ezimbalwa, yayingagayelwa mphako. Amaqembu aseGauteng (ngaleso sikhathi okwakuyiTransvaal) i-Orlando Pirates neMoroka Swallows ayebuya elambatha eCurries Fountain Stadium, eThekwini, okwakuyinkundla yasekhaya ye-Avalon.
Sekuwumlando ukuthi i-Avalon yadla isicoco seSASL amahlandla amathathu, ngesizini ka-1962, 63 neka-64. Kwavala iSwallows yaseGoli, ngesizini ka-1965, okuwunyaka eyaphela ngawo iligi ngenxa yokunswinywa kwamaqembu akulesi sigaba yizinkundla zemidlalo nguhulumeni wobandlululo wangaleso sikhathi.
Nangenkathi kusungulwa enye futhi iligi yebhola elikhokhelayo iNational Professional Soccer Leageue (NPSL) ngo-1971 - eyazala iNational Soccer League (NSL) ngo-1985, eyabe seyizala iPremier Soccer League (PSL) ngo-1996 - amaqembu aKwaZulu-Natal aba yizingqalabutho.
Ngesizini yesibili yeNPSL ngo-1972, AmaZulu (ayebizwa ngeZulu Royals ngaleso sikhathi) yiwona anqoba isicoco seligi.
Ngesizini yokuqala yeNSL ngo-1985, iDurban Bush Bucks yiyona eyakhangula isicoco seligi.
Kanjalo fu nangesizini yokuqala yePSL ka-1996/1997, iManning Rangers yakhona lapha yiyona eyakhangula lesi sicoco.
Konke lokhu kubukeka sekufana nephupho ngoba amaqembu akulesi sifundazwe asaqhubeka nokuphelezela amaqembu akwezinye izifundazwe ekunqobeni izicoco, evikana nezembe isizini, nesizini.
Kwagcina ngesizini ka-2009/2010 ngeLamontville Golden Arrows ukuthi iqembu lakulesi sifundazwe liphakamise indebe ngeMTN 8.
Engxoxweni Isolezwe Ngempelasonto elibe nayo nongoti bebhola bakulesi sifundazwe, okubalwa nabaqeqeshi ababhekelele kakhulu ukuthuthukiswa kwebhola emazingeni aphansi, umunwe ukhomba emaqenjini akulesi sifundazwe adlala kwiPSL. Bkhononda ngokuthi azikho izinhlelo ezicacile zokuhlwaya ithalente labadlali eliyinsada esifundazweni, nokungasondezi abantu abanolwazi lwebhola ezinhlakeni zawo zokuphatha.
“Kuningi okubulala ibhola lethu lapha KwaZulu-Natal. Kodwa inkinga enkulu esibhekene nayo wukuthi abaphathi bamaqembu akulesi fundazwe ePSL awabasondezi abantu abanolwazi lwebhola, okuyibona abazosiza amaqembu abo ukuwasa phambili.
“Kunalokho abanye bakhetha ukusondeza abantu abangenalo ulwazi lwebhola. Baningi abantu abazi ibhola lapha KwaZulu-Natal kodwa bayazitshwa abanikezwa ithuba, baze baphonse ithawula baphume unomphela ebholeni.
“Kungagcini lapho, amaqembu akithi ayabaziba abadlali bakulesi sifundazwe abasakhula, baze bathathwe ngamaqembu akwezinye izifundazwe ezinjengoGauteng, noLimpopo, nezinye.
“Esikhundleni salokho alanda abadlali bakwezinye izifundazwe asebephelelwe ushatini, abafika bangawenzeli lutho. Uma ngingenza isibonelo nje, AmaZulu anabadlali abahle ngakho awafanele ukuba kule ndawo akuyona njengamanje kwi-log.
“Laba badlali anabo njengamanje bangalithatha iqembu balibeke phezulu noma yinini uma sebethanda. Kodwa kuyacaca ukuthi ikhona inkinga ekhona ngaphakathi ebuholini beqembu,” kusho uMlungisi “Professor” Ngubane, oyinkakha nomqeqeshi ophethe isikhungo sabadlali abasakhuliswa, iMlungisi Ngubane Foundation.
UMax Ndlovu, ongumqondisi wabaqeqeshi kwiSafa eThekwini, ophinde alawule izifundo zokuqeqesha KwaZulu-Natal, uthi iningi lamaqembu agijima kwiPSL akulesi sifundazwe awanabo abahlonzi bamakhono (scouts) abasezingeni elifanele.
“Isifundazwe sethu sinothe kakhulu ngethalente kodwa baningi abadlali bakulesi sifundazwe abagcina bethathwa ngamaqembu akwezinye izifundazwe ngoba bezitshwa ngamaqembu alapha eKZN.
“NgoDisemba bengihambele amaSalga Games, eRichards Bay. Ngaphandle kwabaqeqeshi beRichards Bay FC abathi qu kule midlalo ngoba idlalelwa eduze kwabo, angibonanga neyodwa inhloli yeqembu lePSL laseKZN, eyayizohlonza ithalente.
“Kumanje abanye abadlali abanekhono ababedlala kuleya midlalo, bakwiSundowns nakwiSekhukhune kodwa amaqembu alapha abayekile bahamba, asezobathenga ngemali uma esebafuna,” kuphawula uNdlovu.
Eqhuba uNdluvo uthe:“Kufuneka kulungiswe ezinhlakeni eziphansi, abaqeqeshi bakhona baqeqeshwe ngendlela efanele. Akufanele izingane ziqeqeshwe ngabantu abangenalo ulwazi lokuqeqesha abadlali abasebancane.
“Yingakho ngiyithakasela imigomo esanda kubekwa yiSafa yokuthi bonke abaqeqeshi ezinhlakeni zeSafa kusukela kumaLFA kuya kuya ko-ABC Motsepe League nakoMotsepe Championship, kufanele babe neziqu ezithile zokuqeqesha.
“Ngamafuphi nje, amaqembu ePSL alapha eKZN, awabasebenzise abantu abanolwazi lwebhola emikhakheni ehlukene ekuphathweni kwawo, aqinise nasohlangothini lokuhlwaya ithalente.”
UThabo Dladla, ongumphathi wesikhungo sabadlali abasakhuliswa iZichwe Youth Football Academy, eMgungundlovu, nowake wasebenza no-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba emaqenjini esizwe ka-U/20 no-U/23, uthi iKZN iyawadinga amaligi ebhola abadlali abasebancane kuwo wonke amaLocal Football Association (LFA).
“Sidinga ukuba namaligi ebhola abadlali abaneminyaka esukela kweyisishiyagalolunye kuya ku-19 ubudala, kuwo wonke amaLFA ethu lapha eKZN, bese siba neligi yesifundazwe ka-Under 19 ezokwenza abadlali bethu bajwayele ukudlala masonto onke badlale nakwezinye izifunda zeKZN besebancane.
“Ngale kwalokho siyohlale sisalela emuva emaqenjini ePSL akwezinye izifundazwe zakoGauteng, noWestern Cape uma sekuziwa ezikwatini zamaqembu esizwe ka-Under 17, ngoba wona anawo amaqembu abadlali abangaphansi kwale minyaka,” kusho uDladla, osebenze isikhathi eside ophikweni lwezemidlalo e-University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Enye inkinga esibhekene nayo eyengqalasizinda. Yingakho kufanele uhulumeni wethu nomasipala bayisukumele eyokulungiswa kwezinkundla zokudlala emalokishini (nasemakhaya) ukuze izingane zikwazi ukudlala.
“Iningi lezinkundla ezisemalokishini zisesimeni esibi ngendlela eshaqisayo, okuyingakho iningi lezingane zingadlali ngoba izinkundla azithuthukiswa.”
Njengoba isizini isiya ngokuphela i-Arrows ihleli endaweni engcono kwi-log yeDStv Premiership, ibambe indawo yesishiyagalolunye kwi-log. AmaZulu asehlele kunombolo-12 ngenxa yokunganqobi imidlalo yakamuva. Kubanjwe umoya ngeRichards Bay esengcupheni yokugawulwa yizembe ngoba ibambe indawo yesi-15. Kuzokhumbuleka ngesizini edlule iqembu laseKZN iMaritzburg United, libalwe nadliwe yizembe. AmaZulu asakhona kwiNedbank Cup lapho ezodlala nePirates, okusho ukuthi asanethuba lokulungisa umlando wezindebe emaqenjini akulesi sifundazwe.