AboHlanga bayalibuyisa phesheya ibhola lakuleli
ISIZINI yebhola yowezi-2017/18 iyagoqwa kule mpelasonto esiya kuyo. Liyothi lishona elangoMgqibelo kube sekwaziwa ukuthi yiliphi iqembu elizodlala kweyokuhlungela elizogijima kuPSL ngesizini ezayo lengeza kuHighlands Park FC yona engene izigenqezela ngaphandle kokulinda eyokuhlunga.
Lona bekunguginqigonqo wesizini lapho sibone khona amaqembu athathwa njengomakhonya ebholeni lakuleli okuyi-Orlando Pirates neKaizer Chiefs ethwele kanzima kakhulu. Isidumo esasuswa abalandeli sacishe sadlula nemiphefumulo eMoses Mabhida singubufakazi bobunzima obebuthwelwe yizinkunzi ebholeni lakuleli.
Okufike kwaqapheleka kakhulu ebholeni lakuleli kule sizini esiphuma kuyo wukwethembela kwezikhulu eziphethe amaqembu kubaqeqeshi boHlanga. Emaqenjini ayishumi nesithupha adlala esigabeni esikhokhelayo ayishumi kuwo anabaqeqeshi bakuleli lengabadi kanti nomsebenzi abawenzayo uyancomeka kakhulu. IMamelodi Sundowns okuyiyona egcine ikhale yemuka nesicoco se-Absa Premiership ize nesekela elingowoHlanga uManqoba Mngqithi.
Kungumlando ukuthi iSundowns ayibona nje kuphela oshampeni base-Afrika kodwa futhi iphethe isicoco seSuper Cup, yadlula yayomela i-Afrika emqhudelwaneni womhlaba. Lokhu kwenzeke sekuyiminyaka oyisikhulu saleli qembu uDkt uPatrice Motsepe eletha abaqeqeshi baphesheya kwezilwandle ngethemba lokuthi bazoguqula izinhlanhla zeqembu laseChloorkop kodwa kudlule kungenzeki lutho. Izinto zize zalunga ngokulandwa kukaMosimane kuSupersport United nalapho ayeseqalile ukugila khona izimanga ngokuwola izindebe. ISundowns iyaziwolela nje izindebe isize impela ibalwa namaqembu esatshwayo e-Afrika ngoba vele indlela ebheke esicongweni se-Afrika idlula komakhonya abafana noZamalek, oWayde Casablanca no-Ahl Ahly, iSundowns esinakho ukubaqwaqwada amakhanda.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi amaqembu afana neBaroka neLamontville Golden Arrows abuyisa leliya bhola lakudala elalijatshulelwa amakhehla koMsizini, koBantu Sports nako-Orlando lapho kushelela khona indoda ngaphambi kokuthi ibhola lingene selizigingqikela enethini abafana bayoficana nalo enkabeni yenkundla.
IBaroka ivule isizini ngoKgoloko Thobejane obedlalisa leli qembu ibhola elinomjiko ongasukumi phansi futhi ligabe ngabafana abancane besifundazwe iLimpopo. Kuthe uma izinto zingahambi kahle leli qembu laba nesibindi sokulanda uDoctor Khumalo wazoba yiNhloko Yosomaqhinga. Ngapha iLamontville Golden Arrows ibophele ebhentshini uClinton Larsen ogijima ngenkasa yabadlali abatomula eqenjini lamankonyane eMultiChoice Diski Challenge. Kuyiwa koshicilela i-Arrows ibilele endaweni yesikhombisa kulogi ye-Absa Premiership ngamaphuzu angama-37.
I-Orlando Pirates FC ithe noma iphoqwa yimiphumela engemihle ukulanda umqeqeshi wangaphandle uMicho Sredojevic kodwa uSihlalo waleli qembu uDkt Irvin Khoza wenza isiqiniseko sokuthi uMicho umesekela ngowoHlanga uRhulani Mokoena amlande kuMamelodi Sundowns. Ibhola i-Orlando Pirates evale ngalo isizini lehluke kakhulu esibhaxwini eyasithola emaqenjini asePitoli kuqala isizini. IPirates ikwaze ngisho ukubuyisa izinduku kuSundowns iyithela othulini ngama-3 kweli-1.
Lena bekuyisizini ebisinda kakhulu ngenxa yebhola eliphezulu elikhonjiswe amaqembu ePSL. Ukuthembela kwezikhulu zamaqembu kubaqeqeshi basekhaya kusiza ngokuthi nalabo baqeqeshi abagcina belandwe emazweni angaphandle kube yilabo abazofika benze umehluko. Isibonelo salokhu wuLuc Eymael waseBelgium ofike iFree State Stars ibangwa nezibi wayitakula, yaphetha isizini isendaweni ehloniphekile kulog yadlala kahle nakuNedbank Cup.
Abaqeqeshi boHlanga babukeka belibuyisa ibhola lakuleli phesheya kwezilwandle. Lokhu kwenanela amazwi kaProfessor uJoseph Shabalala weLadysmith uma ethi, “Abezizwe ngeke bayiqede indaba yethu” noma uma inkakha eseyathatha umhlalaphansi ebholeni uCedric “Sugar Ray” Xulu ithi, “Kungumbono wami ukuthi ngabantu abanomlando webhola nolwazi oluphelele lwabadlali bezwe lethu abayokwenza umehluko babuyise isithunzi nokuhlonishwa kwalo.”
Ungathi sekuya ngamazwi abo laba baholi. AboHlanga bayalibuyisa phesheya ibhola lakuleli futhi nalo libukeka libuyelwa yisithunzi salo. Lokhu kubonakala ngokugcwala kwezinkundla noma ngabe useLucas Moripe Stadium ePitoli, eThe New Peter Mokaba Stadium, eLimpopo noma ePrincess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu. Izihlwele eseziqala ukuxuba ibala ziyalithokozela ibhola ezilibukiswayo ngoba linezithako ezitholakala e-Afrika eseNingizimu kuphela.
- dez@ingabadimedia.com