Umlando kaJomo engcupheni yokushabalala
NGIKE ngazinika isikhathi sokulunguza ilogi yamaqembu adlala kuNational First Division (NFD). Inhloso yakho bekuwubona ukuthi ziqhuba kanjani ezeNkosi iJomo Cosmos ngokwesimo. Okwenze lokho wukuthi iCosmos ihlale ibhekiwe ukuthi izokwenza kahle kulesi sigaba ngenxa yomlando womphathi wayo ebholeni. UDkt uJomo Sono wayeyisihlabani hhayi se-Orlando Pirates nje kuphela, kodwa wagudlana ngamahlombe nabadlali abahlonishwa kakhulu emhlabeni kuNew York Cosmos athi uma ebuya lapho wasungula iqembu aliqamba ngeDion Cosmos kade liyiHighlands Park.
Indlela uJomo ahlanganisa ngayo iqembu lokuqala yethembisa ukuthi ibhola laseNingizimu Afrika wayezolibeka ezingeni elalingakaze libonwe. Bayakhumbuleka abadlali aqala ngabo njengoWilliam ‘Take Five’ Zondi, uLucky ‘Saba’ Molife, uGregory Cupido noGesond Vilakazi okwakungami qembu phambi kwabo.
Ngaphandle kwezwe walanda abadlali abahle njengoJohn Mofya, uFighton Simukonda, u-Andre Konangole noKennedy ‘King Goals’ Nagoli.
Inqanawe yeqembu alihlanganisa elalibophele uPhilemon ‘Chippa’ Masinga, uHelman ‘Midnight Express’ Mkhalele, uPitso ‘Jingles’ Mosimane, u-Augustine ‘Mthakathi’ Makalakalane uThomas ‘Shintsha’ Madigage noLinda Buthelezi lalibhubhisa kwasani. Abanye balabo badlali yibona ababuya neNdebe yase- Afrika iPirates iyiphumelela okokuqala.
Ngalesi sikhathi uJomo wayebukeka enakho konke okwakudingeka kumbumbi weqembu elinekusasa. Wayebukeka ebambisene nabalekeleli bakhe esingabala kubo umqeqeshi uRoy Mathews athatha naye isicoco seLigi, izimeneja zeqembu uSeth Thwala, uMeneer Masondo kwaze kwafika noSinky Mnisi weHighlands Park enyukele esigabeni esiphezulu kulo nyaka. Ukuphumelela kweCosmos ukuthatha izicoco esingabala kuzo iLigi, iCoca Cola (kwaze kwakabili), iBob Save, iSAA Super 8 nezinye kwenza nezikhulu zeSAFA zamethemba uJomo ngokuqeqesha iqembu lesizwe iBafana Bafana. Imisebenzi yakhe emihle eqenjini lesizwe iyaziwa.
Lapho kunenkinga khona yilapho uJomo engabukeki engumphathi webhola ohambisana nezikhathi. Impumelelo ake aba nayo edayisa abadlali, akha ediliza iqembu sengathi isimhlamukile kodwa yena akaboni.
IJomo Cosmos kwake kwaba nesikhathi lapho yayisibalwa nezinkunzi zaseSoweto ngendlela eyayisibumbene ngayo kodwa manje ibukeka isiyinhlakanhlaka. Sekuke kwaba nanezinkinga zokungakhokhelwa kwabadlali. Umphathi onohlonze njengoJomo ukwenza izinto ngalolu hlobo akufani naye. Kumanje iqembu lilele endaweni yesikhombisa futhi akubukeki kuzoba lula ukufica lelo elisesicongweni, okusho ingozi yokuqhubeka nokuhlala kuNFD.
Kukaningi abathandi bebhola bekhulumela phansi ngokuthi ukuze izinto zilunge kuCosmos kumele ‘kuxoshwe umqeqeshi’ okuyinto eyaziwayo ukuthi ngeke yenzeke. UJomo sekumele abalalele abakhuluma kanjalo ngokuthi akhethe esisodwa ezikhundleni ezimbili. Akabe wumvumbululi nomdayisi wabadlali bebhola ayekele umsebenzi wokuqeqesha iCosmos noma abhukule ayibuyisele ezingeni eyaba kulo kuleya minyaka.
IJomo Cosmos yasungulwa uJomo Sono uqobo lwakhe futhi ingeyakhe. Nokho iligi edlala kuyo ixhaswe ngezimali zabantu okungabathokozisi ukubona kudlalwa ngesikhathi sabo ngenxa yabadlali ababhuduzela enkundleni bengenanhloso yokunqoba.
UDkt uPatrice Motsepe uyikhombile indlela yokuthi ukuze iqembu liphumelele lijabulise wonke umuntu kumele liphathwe ngendlela eyenelisa zonke izinhlangothi, okufaka nabalandeli phakathi. UJomo sengathi angasilandela lesi sibonelo. Akangazijabulisi yena yedwa ngeqembu kodwa akacabangele wonke umuntu. Kungenjalo, kunengozi yokuthi umlando wakhe omuhle ebholeni ugcine ushabalele. Uyokwaziwa njengesihlabani esahluleka ukuhambisana nokuguquka kwezikhathi, iqembu laso laba wukudla kwenduku unyaka nonyaka. Umlando kaJomo ebholeni awufanelwe nakancane yilokho.