USEZANYELWA nasemaqenjini eMotsepe Foundation Championship umdlali wasesiswini, uGeorge Maluleka, ohlukane naMaZulu ekupheleni kwesizini edlule.
UMaluleka (35) ngomunye wabadlali izinkontileka zabo ezingavuselelwanga wuSuthu ekupheleni kwesizini ka-2023/2024. Wajoyina AmaZulu ngo-2022, esuka kwiMamelodi Sundowns aphenduka kuyona ukudla kwebhentshi emuva kokuhamba komqeqeshi uPitso Mosimane owayemlande kwiKaizer Chiefs. Ngesizini edlule, uMaluleka udlale imidlalo engu-17 kuphela kuMaZulu uma sekuhlanganiswa yonke imiqhudelwano.
Imenenja yakhe, uSean Roberts, ithe okwamanje abakalitholi iqembu azodlala kulona njengoba isizini entsha izoqala ngesonto elizayo. Ithe ayazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kuMaZulu njengoba leli qembu ligcine lingawusebenzisanga umbandela wokwelula inkontileka kaMaluleka emuva kwamasizini amabili.
“Akhona amaqemnbu ambalwa esikhuluma nawo kodwa akukho okuhlanganayo okwamanje. Amaqembu esixoxa nawo awePremiership naweMotsepe Foundation Championship. Sinalo ithemba lokuthi ezinsukwini eziyishumi, kukhona okuzohlangana. UMaluleka usafuna ukudlala futhi akakalilahli ithemba mayelana nokuthola iqembu,” kusho uRoberts.
UMaluleka usanuka iqaqa kubalandeli beChiefs awina nayo isicoco seligi ngo-2015 ngenxa yokuthi wasayina inkontileka yesibambiso neSundowns maphakathi nesizini ka-2019/2020. Iningi likholwa wukuthi uyena owaholela ekutheni Amakhosi ahluleke ukuwina isicoco seligi kwazise ayesibanga neSundowns eyagcina inqobile ngosuku lokugcina lwesizini. UMaluleka usezame kaningi ukuchaza okwenzeka, esho nokuthi kwakungesona isinqumo sakhe ukushiya iChiefs kodwa kukhona iqeqebana labalandeli elingakamxoleli ngalokhu.
Ngokuswela iqembu, uMaluleka ujoyine abanye abadlali abaseqophelweni eliphezulu abajika nelanga njengoba amaqembu eseyiqalile ukwenza amalungiselelo esizini entsha. Kulaba badlali kukhona uSifiso Hlanti noKeagan Dolly abachithwe yiChiefs noSibusiso Vilakazi obekwiSekhukhune United ngesizini edlule.
URoberts owayengunozinti we-Ajax Cape Town adlale kuyona noMaluleka eminyakeni edlule, uthe lo mdlali akakhathezekile ngokuswela iqembu okwamanje.
“UGeorge usakholwa ukuthi kuningi asengakwenza ebholeni laseMzansi. Ngiyamqonda ukuthi ungumuntu onjani ngoba sazana naye kudala sisadlala ndawonye kwi-Ajax, waqhubeka yena wadlalela amaqembu ahlukene okukhona kuwona iSuperSport, Chiefs neSundowns. Uqinile ngokomqondo futhi akayena umuntu osheshayo ukuphosa ithawula. Siyazi ukuthi akukho ezandleni zethu kodwa sinethemba lokuthi kuzohlangana ezinsukwini ezizayo,” kusho uRoberts.