IMENENJA kaSiyethemba Sithebe ochithwe yiKaizer Chiefs, ayeneme ngekubiza ngokujikelwa esiswini yileli qembu ngemuva kokubathembisa inkontileka entsha.
USithebe (31), ophelelwa yinkontileka ngempelasonto neChiefs, ukubadlali abane okuvele ukuthi isihlukene nabo ngasekuqaleni kwesonto. Lokhu kwenzeka nje, akakafiki umqeqeshi omusha, uNasreddine Nabi, obekuthiwa uzofika abahlole bonke abadlali ngaphambi kokuthatha isinqumo ikakhulukazi ngabaphelelwa yizinkontileka.
Amakhosi, asewaqalile amalungiselelo esizini ka-2024/2025 ngaphansi kweso elibukhali lephini likaNabi, uFernando da Cruz, elitheleke eMzansi ngeSonto. UNabi, usaqedela isizini kwi-AS FAR yaseMorocco. Kulindeleke ukuthi atheleke eNingizimu Afrika ngesonto elizayo. Abanye abadlali abachithwe yiChiefs nguNjabulo Ngcobo okubhekwe ukuthi asayine kwiSekhukhune United, Sifiso Hlanti noKeagan Dolly. Amakhosi awakazimemezeli ngokusemthethweni izinguquko ezenzekayo eqenjini.
USithebe ukhonjwa indlela kwiChiefs nje, emasontweni adlule imenenja yakhe uSihlangu Sithebe, itshele leli phephandaba ukuthi bakhulumile nezikhulu zaMakhosi futhi zabathembisa ukuthi inkontileka yomdlali wakhe izovuselelwa. Izolo, uSihlangu uthe ayehlanga kahle eyokubashintshela kweChiefs ekugcineni.
“Basitshele ukuthi ngeke besayivuselela inkontileka ngoba sebeqoke ukubheka abanye abadlali. Akusiphathanga kahle lokho bebesithembise izikhawu ukuthi inkontileka izovuselelwa. Ngifike kaningi eNaturena ngizokhuluma indaba yomunye umdlali kodwa bebeyifaka ekaSiyethemba futhi beqinisekisa ukuthi inkontileka izovuselelwa. Kodwa ke ngeke ngibagxeke nakuba kungehlanga kahle futhi ngeke lokhu sikwenze indaba enkulu,” kusho uSihlangu.
Kulindeleke ukuthi iChiefs iqhubeke nokuchitha abanye abadlali njengoba ifuna ukushintsha izinto. Ngesizini edlule, Amakhosi angene ehlazweni eqeda endaweni ka-10 kwi-log yeDStv Premiership ngamaphuzu angu-36 emidlalweni engu-30. USithebe uhlale isikhathi eside engadlali ngenxa yokulimala. Ubonakale enkundleni izikhawu ezingu-11 kuphela.
“Akhona amaqembu asevele agxuma ahlala, akhombisa ukumfuna. Sesiqalile ukuxoxa nawo. Akhona awaseGauteng nawaKwaZulu-Natal. Konke kuzocaca ngokuhamba kwesikhathi,” kusho uSithebe omdala.
Izolo, kuvele ukuthi iChiefs iwusebenzisile umbandela wokwelula ngonyaka inkontileka yomdlali wasesiswini, uGeorge Matlou, okuphele isizini edlule engasadlali ngenxa yokulimala. Bekuvele ukuthi uMatlou ufunwa uthuli yiChippa United esanda kudedela inqwaba yabadlali.