OWAYEYINJINI yeBafana Bafana, uThanduyise “Gonondo” Khuboni, ucebisa umdlali wasesiswini, uSiphephelo “Yaya” Sithole ngokuthi akaqhubeke nokuzithoba, angayichizeli iNingizimu Afrika ukuze ezodlondlobala ebholeni.
USithole wasoLundi, uselenze elakhe ijezi enkabeni yenkundla esikimini somqeqeshi, uHugo Broos. Udlala ngokuzwana okukhulu noTeboho Mokoena weMamelodi Sundowns.
USithole udlalela iTondela kwi-League 2 yasePortugal. Ngaphambi kokufudukela phesheya kwezilwandle, ubedlalela iKZN Academy, eThekwini. Nakuba uSithole ubengekho kubadlali uBroos aqale ngabo ukwakha kabusha iBafana ngo-2021, usebenze kanzima ukuthatha iso lalo mqeqeshi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.
UKhuboni owayeseqenjini leBafana eladlala emqhudelwaneni weNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2010, uthe uhlabeke umxhwele ngekhono likaSithole.
“Uyadlala loya mfana. Indlela alibamba ngayo nendlela agcina ngayo indawo yakhe...(Yinhle kakhulu). Akujwayelekile ukuthola umdlali wasesiswini okwazi ukudlala amabhola amade namafishane, okwazi ukumaka nokuhlasela. Unayo yonke into ongayifisa kumdlali wasesiswini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, badlala ngokuzwana noMokoena. Bayakwazi ukuthola oZwane (Themba) phambi kwabo,” kusho uKhuboni.
“Sengathi uSithole angadlala kanje angashintshi. Angazikhukhumezi, ikakhulukazi uma kufanele adlalele izwe lakhe ngoba kwesinye isikhathi abadlali sebebona ukuthi abantu bathembela kubona banokuziphakamisa, ekugcineni lihlehle ibhola. Uma ezozehlisa, aqhubeke asebenze ngokuzikhandla kuyona yonke imidlalo ayitholayo, kulona lonke ithuba alitholayo futhi ahloniphe izwe lakhe, uzophumelela.”
USithole uphinde washaya into ecokeme ngoLwesibili ngesikhathi iBafana yehlula iZimbabwe emdlalweni wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026. INingizimu Afrika isendaweni yesibili kuGroup C lapho ibambene khona ngamaphuzu ayisikhombisa neRwanda neBenin. Indlela uBroos ayivuse ngayo iBafana, isibuyise ithemba kubalandeli abaningi kuleli.
“Ngiyajabula ngoba indlela esidlala ngayo inenhloso. Siyawakha amathuba okushaya amagoli. Akusafani nakuqala lapho obekuthi uma ubuka, uthi ‘vele sizodliwa’. Kodwa manje ngisho abalandeli sebeyaqala ukubuya enkundleni. Lokhu kusho ukuthi senza kangcono kunakuqala. Into engiyifisayo manje wukuthi sisebenzise wonke amathuba esiwatholayo, singadlali ngokuminca.
“Esikhathini esiningi siyalishaya igoli kodwa umdlalo ugcine uphele ngo 1-1. Iqembu esidlala nalo lithola ithuba, lishaye igoli. Thina sishweba amagoli amaningi. Ngakho uma singalungisa lokho, mhlawumbe sigxilise imiqondo yethu lapha nalaphaya kungalunga. Ngicabanga ukuthi sineqembu elihle,” kusho uKhuboni.