I-FOOTBALL Kenya Federation (FKF) yenze isethembiso sokuthi umqeqeshi waseNingizimu Afrika, uBenni McCarthy, ngeke abhekane nosizi lokubuye angaholelwa njengoba bekwenzeka eminyakeni edlule kwazise le nhlangano isikulungisile obekufanele nohulumeni wezwe.
Lesi simemezelo senziwe bukhoma ngumengameli wale nhlangano eyengamele ibhola laseKenya, uHussein Mohammed, ngesikhathi uMcCarthy nethimba lakhe elibophele uMoneeb Josephs noVasili Mannousakis lethulwa ngokusemthethweni njengabaqeqeshi abasha beHarambee Stars.
Kulo mcimbi obuseNairobi, ekomkhulu laseKenya izolo, uHussein ubuzwe ngokuthi bazoligwema kanjani ihlazo abalaziyo lokuthi abaqeqeshi babuye bangaholelwa njengoba sebeqashe uMcCarthy okungaduma umhlaba wonke uma kungenzeka kuyena lokho?
“Izivumelwano ezikhona phakathi kwethu nohulumeni zenza sikhululeke ngokuthi lokhu obekujwayele ukwenzeka eminyakeni edlule, ngeke kwenzeke kuMcCarthy,” kusho uHussein.
“Amaphutha aseminyakeni edlule abedalwa wukuqhelelana obekukhona phakathi kukahulumeni nenhlangano eyengamele ibhola. Lokhu sekulungisiwe kangangokuba ubudlelwano obukhona manje benza silale ngokukhululeka nasebusuku.
“Sisike ithimba labaqeqeshi elinaso sonke isipiliyoni ongasicabnga kusukela ebholeni lase-Afrika kuya kwelase-Europe. Bekungelula ukuqoka umqeqeshi esizoya naye phambili kodwa uMcCarthy ungene wathi khaxa kukona konke ebesikufisa kumqeqeshi.”
UMcCarthy oneminyaka engu-47 ubudala, ugcine ukuqeqesha ezinyangeni eziyisishiyagalolunye ezedlule kwiManchester United yase-England, lapho ebebhekele khona ukuba bukhali kwabagadli ngaphansi kobuholi buka-Erik Ten Hag waseNetherlands.
Lo mqeqeshi osayine inkontileka yeminyaka emibili, uzoqala ukusebenza kwiHarambee Stars ngomdlalo wasekuhambeni wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ezowudlala neGambia ngoMashi 17, ngaphambi kokwamukela iGabon zingu-24 kwephezulu.
IKenya isele ngamaphuzu amahlanu kwi-Ivory Coast eqhwakele eqoqweni labo okusasele kulona imidlalo eyisithupha.
Ngemuva kokwethulwa kwakhe uMcCarthy uthe: “Ngizizwa ngihloniphekile kodwa okukhulu kakhulu wukuthi angisakwazi ukulinda ukuqala umsebenzi wokubuyisela iKenya ekubeni yisikhondlakhondla sase-Afrika.“Angifuni ukuthembisa okuningi kepha sizoyiguqula indlela abantu baseKenya ababuka ngayo iqembu labo lesizwe.”