WAKE wayekiswa ukudlala ibhola oyiqhawe leBafana Bafana kulezi zinsuku ngoba engasawunaki umsebenzi wesikole kodwa ngoLwesibili buhlale obala ubufakazi besiphiwo sakhe.
UThalente “Cheese” Mbatha usephenduke isilomo kunobhutshuzwayo kusukela ejoyine i-Orlando Pirates ngezimanga azigile eqenjini lesizwe iBafana.
UMbatha (24) wephule iBafana osizini ngegoli lokuwina sekuvalwe amehlo bebhekene ne-South Sudan emdlalweni wokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), eJuba. Elakuleli ligcine liwine ngo 3-2.
Ubengaqali ukuba yiqhawe njengoba nasemdlalweni wakhe wokuqala kwiBafana, kube wunyawo lwakhe oluweze ezika-Hugo Broos ngegoli lokulinganisa zibambana ngo 2-2 ne-Uganda ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule.
Ngenxa yalokhu, lo mdlali oyibamba esiswini ojoyine iBucs esuka kwiSuperSport United, usebizwa ngomhlengi weNingizimu Afrika.
Nakuba konke sekubukeka kukhanya kodwa ubenazo izikhinsi endleleni ebheke empumelelweni. Isolezwe livakashele kubo kaThalente kwa-G, KwaMashu, okuyilapho ekhulele khona.
Unina, uPhumzile Mbatha (57), obephuphuma yinjabulo udalule ukuthi wayengakholwa ukuthi indodana yakhe izophumelela ebholeni eyaliqala isencane.
Uthe othisha ababemfundisa eSastri College, eThekwini, bathatha isinqumo sokuthi bayemkise ibhola ngoba kwakuduma lona ekhanda, engasazinaki izifundo.
“Wayekhahlela noma yini. Uma ngihamba naye sihlangana nabafana abadlala ibhola, wayema lapho adlale naye. Wayehamba yedwa eyodlala ibhola. Ngelinye ilanga wabanjwa inkunzi ehostela (KwaMashu) eyodlala eRotary Stadium, waphucwa umakhalekhukhwini newashi. Kodwa akazange adikibale.
“Esefunda uGrade 11, ngabizelwa esikoleni, bangitshela ukuthi uThalente ulibala yibhola. Ekilasini udlala ibhola ngaso sonke isikhathi. Lokhu kwakuyiphazamisa imiphumela yakhe,” kuchaza umama wale nsizwa.
“Ngake ngabizwa, kwathiwa ubulale ifasitela lesikole ngebhola. Kulowo mhlangano, bangitshela othisha ukuthi angimyekise ibhola ngoba liyamphazamisa. Ngafika ekhaya ngahlala naye phansi ngamtshela ukuthi akahlukane nebhola. Ngoba uyingane elalelayo, waliyeka ngempela.”
“Nokho lokho akuhambanga kahle ngoba uthisha owayemdlalisa ibhola, wangibiza wangibuza ukuthi kungani uThalente engasalidlali. Ngamtshela inkinga engangibhekene nayo. Wathi uThalente akabuyele ebholeni ngoba liyisiphiwo sakhe. Ngahlala naye phansi, ngamtshela ukuthi uma imiphumela yakhe ingenyuki, uzoliyeka unomphela ibhola.
“Ngabacela othisha ukuthi bamfeyilise uGrade 11. Esephinda, wayesezimisele, ephasa kahle kangangoba eseku-matric kukhona isifundo asiphasa ngamalengiso. Ngiyababonga othisha abamyekisa ibhola uThalente ngoba mhlawumbe ngabe akekho lapho ekhona manje.”
Uthe ngesikhathi uThalente ekhuhla ibhentshi kwi-SuperSport walahlekelwa yithemba ngokuthi uzophumelela.
“Kukhona lana bese ngilahle khona ithemba. Besize sibange nodadewethu nabafowabo. Bengize ngizitshele ukuthi, hhayi kusho ukuthi akamuhle ngaleyo ndlela ngoba nakhu bengamdlalisi. Kodwa basho bona ukuthi ‘Ma uThalente uyalazi ibhola’.
Umthandazo yiwona unina athembele ekutheni indodana yakhe ingagcini ingene ogibeni oluphazamise abanye abadlali bebhola kuleli.
“Akabuphuzi utshwala futhi akahlangani nezidakamizwa. Ukhule sikhonza eWeseli. Uma ejabule ngihlala ngimtshela ukuthi angazikhukhumezi ngoba uMdali akabafuni abantu abanjalo. Ngimthumelela amavesi eBhayibheli njalo ukuze ahlale azi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabalwela abazithobayo.
“Engikwesaba kakhulu ukuthi angazi ukuthi abanye bangena kanjani ezintweni ezibacekela phansi. Ngakho ngihlala ngimyala ngokuthi aqaphele izinto aziphuzayo,” kubeka unina kaThalente.
UThalente uzalwa nabafowabo abangamawele, uThabo noThando Zulu. Bangabalandeli abakhulu bakhe futhi ngokusho kukanina, yibona abahlale bemethemba ukuthi uzozenza izimanga. Kukhona nomzala wakhe, uSakhile Mbatha nodadewabo uNgiphiwe.
UThabo uthe: “Bengazi ukuthi uThalente unayo le nto kodwa ungimangazile ukuthi umfana usevele wakhuphuka. Noma engangena sekusele isikhathi esincane siyazi ukuthi uzowenza umlingo wakhe.”
USakhile uncome uThalente ngokungashintshi noma esewusaziwayo.
“Ngijabule kakhulu ngoba ubengadlali kwiSuperSport. Akwenze kwiBafana akukangeni ezingqondweni zethu siwumndeni.”