ZAKHELE XABA
I SIBABULI seFree State Stars, uLuyolo Nomandela, sesiphumele obala ngesifiso sokugijima kuKaizer Chiefs engompetha be-Absa Premiership neNedbank Cup besizini ka-20`12/2013.
Kuze kube yimanje akuveli lutho ngabadlali abasayiniswe yiChiefs nakuba isivele ixoshe owayengukaputeni uJimmy Tau no-Abia Nale obebolekiswe ku-Ajax Cape Town.
Ngaphambi kokuphela kwesizini edlule ubuvele usuqalile ukuvunguza umoya wokuthi Amakhosi eshela isinyenyela uNomandela, ofike wagqama ngesizini yakhe yokuqala kuPremiership. Kuvele ukuthi iStars ifuna isizumbulu sika-R8 million ngalo mdlali, ongowokuzalwa eNgqeleni, eMthatha, owake wagijima kuCarara Kicks kuNational First Division (NFD).
Emasontweni edlule isikhulu se-Ea Lla Koto, uRantsie Mokoena, sithe amaqembu afuna abadlali baso aweze nemali.
Nakuba emaningi amaqembu abelokhu emataniswa noNomandela (23) kodwa izolo uphumele obala kuleli phephandaba ngothando lwakhe lokudlala kuChiefs, azibona enethuba lokuphumelela kuyo.
“Angikazi ukuthi ngizobe ngidlala kuphi ngesizini ezayo. Imenenja yami isangilungisela zonke izinto. Ithe izongazisa ngokwenzekayo. Uma ngigcina ngihambile kuStars ngifuna ukuyodlala kuChiefs,” kusho uNomandela.
“KuChiefs, uBaxter uyabathanda abafana abancane futhi bonke abadlali bayalithola ithuba. Ngiyazi ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi kukhona okunye okwenzekayo kuChiefs kodwa uma ubuka ungaphandle bawumndeni ojabule.”
KuChiefs uNomandela angabanga indawo noGeorge Lebese okhombisile ngesizini edlule ukuthi ukunikwa ithuba kuyamkhulisa umdlali. Indlela abeyibamba ngayo ophondweni lwangakwesokunxele idonse ngisho iso lomqeqeshi weBafana Bafana uGordon Igesund. Indawo yakwesokunxele kuChiefs ibisidlalwe nguSiphiwe Tshabalala iminyaka. Nokho ukuncipha kwejubane kulo mdlali owashaya igoli lokuqala emdlalweni wokuqala weNdebe yoMhlaba ngo 2010, kubukeka kuyikho okwenze uBaxter wamfaka maphakathi nenkundla.
Yize uNomandela ethi akakaqiniseki ukuthi nakanjani uzogijima ePhefeni ngesizini ezayo kodwa ubezwakala ejabule ngesikhathi echaza ngesifiso sakhe.“Indlela engidlala ngayo ingafike ingene khaxa esitayeleni seChiefs. Okungadingeka ngikwenze wukuqhubeka nokusebenza kanzima, ngenze isiqiniseko sokuthi angehli ezingeni lami engaziwa ngalo,” kusho uNomandela. “Ngiyazi ukuthi ngeke kube lula ngoba nabadlali basemuva sebeyangazi kodwa ukufika eqenjini elikhulu njengeChiefs kusho ukuzikhandla okuphindiwe.”
Imenenja yeChiefs uBobby “Bobsteak” Motaung ithe balinde uBaxter ozobuya phesheya ngempelasonto, ngaphambi kokukhipha uhla lwabadlali abahambayo nabasayiniswayo. Uma egcina esayinile kuChiefs uNomandela, uzohamba ezinyathelweni zabadlali abafana noTshabalala, Emeka Mamale, Fortune Koloba, Daniel Sekhoto, Robson Muchichwa bonke abasuka kuStars bafike bayishukumisa ePhefeni.
Ngesizini edlule u-Edward Manqele, owayegijima kuStars, wayekubeke kwacaca ukuthi ufuna ukugijima kuChiefs kodwa kwaqhamuka iMamelodi Sundowns yamnunusela ngemali washintsha umqondo.