UVEZA ukuthi kunesikhathi lapho ake alahla khona ithemba ngokubuyela kwiBetway Premiership uSiyabulela Shai, otakulwe yiMarumo Gallants ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini ephezulu.
Leli nxele elavunjululwa iMamelodi Sundowns ngo-2011, lizalwa u-Isaac Shai owadlala kuyo phakathi kuka-1992 no-2004.
Ngebhadi uSiyabulela akazange alithole ithuba lokudlala kuyo njengoba beyilokhu imbolekisa emaqenjini ehlekene. Phakathi kwabolekiswa kuwo, iChippa United, Maritzburg United eseyaziwa ngeDurban City, Black Leopards neTshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
Phezu kokuba nekhono kodwa kunesikhathi lapho ake wabolekiswa kwi-EC Bees yase-Eastern Cape eyayigijima kwiSAFA-ABC Motsepe League. IGallants imthathe kwiPlatinum City Rovers edliwe izembe ngesizini edlule kwiMotsepe Foundation Championship.
Eminyakeni edlule, kwake kwavela amahebezi ayethi uSiyabulela wayebuye ahlulwe ukuziphatha ngenxa yokuthanda impilo yobumnandi. Selokhu efikile kwiGallants usephenduke elinye lamasosha omqeqeshi, uDan "Dance" Malesela.
Emidlalweni eminingi umdlalisa njengomgadli. Emasontweni edlule, iqembu labo lishaywe yiSundowns kowandulela owamanqamu eCarling Knockout. Kowesigaba sokuqala lo mdlali ushaye igoli behlula iPolokwane City ngo 2-3. Kowama-quarterfinal, badlule kwiStellenbosch ngo 1-0 wegoli lakhe.
Nakwiligi usayidlale yoyisithupha esagijinywe iGallants. USiyabulela ubonge kakhulu kusihlalo weGallants, u-Abram Sello, nakumqeqeshi, uMalesela ngokukholelwa kuyena.
"Ngesizini edlule, ngike ngangaba namsebenzi ngemuva kokuhlukana neSekhukhune. Bese ngilahlekelwe ithemba lokuthi ngizobuyela esigabeni esikhulu. Obekungiphatha kabi ukuthi neminyaka isingishiyile. IRovers yangicosha kukubi. Kuyangithokozisa ukuthi kwiGallants ngiyalithola ithuba, iyabonakala nemizamo yami," kubeka uSiyabulela.
Uthe kunzima ukudlulisa ubuhlungu bokuhluleka kwabo ukufinyelela kowamaqamu eCarling Knockout Cup.
"Siyiqembu elithathwa njengelincane nelifikayo kwiBetway Premiership. Ukufinyelela kowamanqamu kukodwa bekuzoba into enkulu. Angikaze nginqobe nkomishi selokhu ngangena ebholeni elikhokhelayo. Sibonga kakhulu ngoxhaso esiluthole kubantu baseFree State ngaphambi nangemuva kokubhekana neSundowns. Sizoqhubeka nokusebenza kanzima.“