AKAKUTHATHI njengokubuyela emuva ukwehliselwa esikimini esincane kwiKaizer Chiefs, umqeqeshi uDillon Sheppard, ogudluzwe eqenjini elikhulu emuva kokufika komqeqeshi uNasreddine Nabi nethimba lakhe elisha.
USheppard wafika kwiChiefs ngo-2020, ezoba yiphini likaGavin Hunt ayedlala ngaphansi kwakhe kwiBidvest Wits. UHunt wangena endaweni ka-Ernst Middendorp owahluleka ekugcineni ukuwina isicoco seligi.
Ngemuva kokukhonjwa indlela kukaHunt, uSheppard waqhubeka wasebenza nabaqeqeshi abahlukene esikimini esikhulu okukhona kubona uStuart Baxter, Arthur Zwane, Molefi Ntseki noCavin Johnson. Nokho ezinyangeni ezedlule, Amakhosi adilize lonke ithimba labaqeqeshi lesikimu esiyibamba kwi-Betway Premiership eliqede endaweni yeshumi kwiligi njengoba egcine eqashe uNabi.
USheppard wehliselwe esikimini seDStv Diski Challenge (DDC) wayoba yiphini likaVela Khumalo. Wehlele kweleDiski nomqeqeshi wonozinti, u-Aubrey Mathibe noMuzi Maluleka obhekelele ukuba qatha kwabadlali esikimini esikhulu.
“Kuhlala kunzima... (ukwehliselwa ezansi). Kodwa uma unothando lwento oyenzayo... (uyakwamukela). Singabaqeqeshi siyakuthanda lokhu esikwenzayo. Ngithole ithuba lokusebenza nabadlali abasebancane beqembu, bayaludinga usizo lwami nokukhonjiswa indlela. Uma uqhubeka nokukhiqiza abadlali abanyukela esikimini esikhulu, ujabula kakhulu njengomqeqeshi. Sisasebenzela lona iqembu. Abantu bathi ngehliselwe ezansi kodwa akunjalo. Ukusebenza nabadlali beqembu abasebancane kuyinto enkulu,” kusho uSheppard.
USheppard ubambe izintambo kwiDisiki njengoba uKhumalo oseqenjini lesizwe lika-Under 17, Amajimbos, elidlala emqhudelwaneni iFifa 6 Nations Talent Development Scheme (TDS) Tournament oqhubekayo e-Ivory Coast. Kukhona nabadlali abayibamba kwesikhulu, uNkosana Mbuthu owaziveza emehlweni abaningi eshaya into ecokeme emdlalweni wobungani neYoung Africans, Manqoba Ozoemena no-Aden McCarthy oyindodana yenkakha yeChiefs, uFabian McCarthy.
USheppard uthe laba badlali kufanele basebenze kanzima ukuziphendlela indawo esikimini sikaNabi.
“Sikhulumile nabafana ukuthi uma beza lapha kufanele bahole abanye abafana ngoba babukela kubona njengoba sebedlala esikimini esikhulu. Ngakho kukithina ukubasiza. Kufanele silulawule udumo. Lukhulu udumo kubadlali abasebancane. Benza kahle imizuzu eyisihlanu, emuva kwalokho kube sekungathi siphethe umdlali ophambili. Akunjalo. Kufanele singathathi ngamawala.
“Kuningi okusafanele kuthuthukiswe endleleni abadlala ngayo. Nginethemba lokuthi sizoba naso isikhathi sokukwenza lokho. Asifuni ukubajaha, emuva komdlalo noma kwemibili angayidlalanga kahle, ezinkundleni zokuxhumana sekukhulunywa okubi ngaye. Ngakho kufanele sikulawule lokho,” kusho uSheppard.