NAKUBA iligi yaseCyprus ingabalwa nahamba phambili emhlabeni kodwa ukudlala kuyona kungamsiza umdlali wakuleli, uLuther Singh, ukuze abuyise ukuzethemba ngokusho komunye wabadlali abazakhela udumo kwiBafana Bafana, uDelron Buckley.
USingh ubesengundingasithebeni selokhu adedelwa yiqembu laseSerbia, iFC Cukaricki, ngoJanuwari. Bekusanda kubikwa ukuthi uke wayozama inhlanhla emaqenjini aseRomania, iFCSB nePolitehnica Iași.
Kuphele ukuqagela ngempelasonto ngesikhathi iqembu eligijima esigabeni esiphezulu eCyprus, i-AEL Limassol, liqinisekisa ukuthi selimsayinise inkontileka yeminyaka emibili, enombandela wokuthi ingelulwa ngomunye unyaka.
UBuckley ukholwa wukuthi lo mdlali oneminyaka engu-26, ogijima ezinhlangothini naphambili, angakucima okungazange kumhambele kahle kumasizini ambalwa akamuva uma engazimisela eqenjini lakhe elisha.
UBuckley wadlala eCyprus ngo-2009 kuya ku-2010, egijima kwi-Anorthosis Famagusta. Wadlala isikhashana ngaphansi kuka-Ernst Middendorp ngaphambi kokuthi ibhantshi ligcwale umoya kulo mqeqeshi.
“Iligi yaseCyprus ayinzima kangako. Ngiyazi ukuthi isithuthukile uma uqhathanisa nezikhathi zethu ngoba ibhola liyashintsha kodwa yiligi umdlali ofana noLuther angakwazi ukugqama kuyona uma ezimisela,” kusho uBuckley.
“Njengoba iqembu likwazile ukumnika inkontileka yeminyaka emibili kukhombisa ukuthi likuthandile elikubonile. Sekukuyena ukuthi afike alwele ijezi, ashaye amagoli aphinde aphakele nozakwabo.
“Angazibonakalisa kwamanye amaqembu, ikakhulukazi awasemazweni angomakhelwane njengaseTurkey naseGreece, aphinde akhuphule amathuba akhe okubuyela eqenjini lesizwe.
“ICyprus yizwe elihle, isimo sezulu sihle, angiboni ukuthi kuzoba yinkinga ukuthi ajwayele ukuhlala khona. Okusemqoka wukuthi abe sesimeni esihle ngokomqondo ngoba iminyaka yakhe isamvumela ukuthi aphinde abuyele kumaligi aphezulu e-Europe.”
ECyprus uSingh uzofica omunye umdlali weBafana Bafana, uMihlali Mayambela, ogijima eqenjini eliyizimbangi zelakhe, i-Aris Limassol.
UMayambela wafika kwi-Aris ngo-2022, wanqoba isicoco seligi ngesizini yakhe yokuqala naleli qembu. Ngo-Agasti ka-2023 wasayiniswa inkontileka entsha ezophela ngo-2026.
Ngaphandle kukaMayambela noBuckley, kubadlali bakuleli asebeke badlala eCyprus kubalwa uNasief Morris (Apollon Limassol), MacDonald Mukansi (Enosis Neon Paralimni), Dino Ndlovu (Anorthosis Famagusta) nabanye.
Iqembu likaSingh elisha lizoqala ukulungiselela isizini entsha ngoLwesine, lapho abadlali bazobe behlolwa khona ngaphambi kokuthi baqale ukuzilolonga ngoMsombuluko ozayo.
Ngesizini edlule, i-AEL yaqeda endaweni yesishiyagalolunye kwi-log. Yagcina ukuba ngompetha baseCyprus ngesizini ka-2011/12.