Ithemba AmaZulu ezalwa kabusha
Ikhasi elisha elivuliwe oSuthwini kubhekwe ukuthi libuyise injabulo yakudala kubalandeli asebewe bevuka naleli qembu
Ukudayiswa kwelinye lamaqembu anomlando kunobhutshuzwayo waseNingizimu Afrika, AmaZulu, akungabazeki ukuthi kushiye abaningi bekhungathekile.
Ngeledlule abaphathi boSuthu bamemezele ukuthi iqembu sebelidayisele uMnu uSandile Zungu ongusomabhizinisi owaziwayo. Kuvele ukuthi isizathu sokudayiswa koSuthu ukuthi uSihlalo walo uDkt uPatrick Sokhela ubesehlala ngokungaphili, lapho ehlaselwe khona yisifo sohlangothi kuphindelela.
Lokhu bekungalindelekile uma kubhekwa ukuthi AmaZulu asanda kwenza izinhlelo ezinkulu zokulungiselela isizini entsha yeDStv Premiership.
Phakathi kwalezi zinhlelo kubalwa ukuqashwa ngokuphelele kuka-Ayanda Dlamini njengomqeqeshi weqembu nokulanda u-Alan Freese ozoba yiphini lakhe. Umbuzo omkhulu owokuthi kungani abaphathi boSuthu benze zonke lezi zinhlelo uma kuwukuthi bebazi ukuthi bazolidayisa iqembu? Ngabe vele uZungu ubeseyingxenye yeqembu ngesikhathi kuthathwa lezi zinqumo?
ULunga Sokhela obeyiMeneja Jikelele yAmaZulu uthe kube yinto engelula neze ukudedela iqembu kodwa bese kumele kwenzeke.
“Uma usuzihlanganise nento isikhathi eside kuhlale kunzima futhi kungelula ukuvele uthathe isinqumo sokuyishiya kanjalo nje. Kodwa ngesinye isikhathi kufika isikhathi sokuthi ushiye ubhekekwenye indawo,” kusho uSokhela.
“Kusukela siqala ukuzihlanganisa nAmaZulu sasifuna akhule angashabalali. Senza konke okwakufanele sakha iqembu kabusha, salibuyisa ehlathini ngemuva kokudliwa yizembe. Ngiyajabula kakhulu ukuthi silishiye lisesimweni esihle kakhulu. Awukho umsebenzi omkhulu okumele wenziwe ku-AmaZulu manje. Afana nomshini ozihambela ngokukhululeka.”
USokhela uthe isinqumo sokudayisa AmaZulu basithathe khona manje, hhayi indaba yokuthi sekunesikhathi bafinyelelakusona.
“Eminyakeni edlule baningi abebelifuna iqembu. Ubaba ubesehlala ngokugula. Njengamanje uneminyaka yobudala engaphezulu kwengama-60 kanti lesi yisikhathi esikahle sokuthi aziphumulele anganaki izinto eziningi. Sibheke obekubekwa etafuleni sabona ukuthi kuhle kakhulu sase sithatha isinqumo,” kuchaza uSokhela.
Uthe abalandeli kumele baqhubeke nokweseka iqembu ngokungangabazi ngoba libaluleke kakhulu KwaZulu-Natal.
“Iqembu kumele libe khona unomphelo ngakho nginxusa abalandeli ukuthi baleseke. Yiqembu lesifundazwe leli, yiqembu laKwaZulu-Natal. Nami nje ngizoqhubeka nokweseka iqembu ngayo yonke indlela njengomlandeli walo. Awusoze ungibone ngigqoke ijezi leSundowns noma elinye iqembu ngaphandle kwAmaZulu. Kimina kwakungewona nje umsebenzi owangihlanganisa nAmaZulu kodwa uthando lwangempela.
“Nginxusa abalandeli bAmaZulu ukuthi baye ezinkundleni begqoke imibala yeqembu uma isikhathi sesivuma. Yiqembu okumele lihlale likhona leli noma sesidlulile emhlabeni. Bekungaba kubi ukuthatha AmaZulu siwashiye engaselona iqembu eliphezulu. Ngiyajabula ukuthi siwashiye esesimweni esihle kakhulu nasezandleni zomuntu okahle,” kuphetha uSokhela.
Umlando wa-Amazulu FC
AmaZulu abunjwa ngowe-1932 kanti ngaleso sikhathi ayaziwa ngeZulu Royal Conquerors. Iqembu lethulwa ngokusemthethweni eSilweni samaZulu sangaleso sikhathi, uSolomon, esanquma ukulishintsha igama kube yiZulu Royals.
Ekuqaleni uMntwana uBhayisikili uyena owabekwa njengomuntu owayezobheka iqembu eMsizini kodwa esikhundleni sakhe kwabuye kwangena uMntwana uSithela, kanti ikomkhulu leqembu laliseMbelebeleni Royal Kraal ngaleso sikhathi. Imibala yeqembu yashintsha kwaba oluhlaza ogqize ngokumhlophe. Phambilini iqembu lalikade lisebenzisa imibala onevI nokumhlophe.
Ngowe-1971 iqembu elalaziwa nge-African Wanderers lalibhekene nezinkinga kuNational Professional Soccer League (NPSL). Lokhu kwaholela ekutheni iNPSL ithathe isinqumo sokuthi iKwaZulu-Natal Football Association idingise i-African Wanderers kuNPSL bese ifaka elinye iqembu esikhundleni sayo.
IKwaZulu-Natal Football Association yaphakamisa la maqembu alandelayo ukuthi angene esikhundleni se-African Wanderers: I-Union Jacks, iDurban City All Black, iZulu Royals United Directors noma iYoung Dribblers.
OwayenguSihlalo weNPSL ngaleso sikhathi uRD Sishi, wanquma ukuthi iZulu Royals United kube iyona engena esikhundleni se-African Wanderers ngoba kwakuyiqembu laseBukhosini baKwaZulu futhi linabalandeli abaningi kakhulu kunamanye amaqembu ayephakanyisiwe.
Ngowe-1971 iZulu Royals yangena esikhundleni se-African Wanderers yagcina iqede endaweni yesithupha kulogi. Leli qembu labuye lavotelwa njengelalishaye into ecokeme kakhulu kunamanye ngalowo nyaka.
Ngowe-1972 iZulu Royals yanqoba isicoco seNPSL ngamaphuzu angama-44 emidlalweni engama-26. Yashaywa emidlalweni emibili kuphela.
Ngowe-1973 iqembu lazithola lisenkingeni enkulu ngesikhathi owayeyimeneja yalo uBethwell Masondo ehlubuka eqenjini wahamba nabadlali ababalulekile, lahlukana phakathi. Lokhu kwaholela ekutheni iqembu lihluleke ukuvikela isicoco elalisinqobe ngowe-1973.
Ngowe-1974 ukuphathwa kweqembu kwawela ezandleni zabalandeli lashintsha kwathiwa AmaZulu Football Club. Abanye abalandeli ababeholwa uFrancis Dlamini banquma ukuhlubuka eqenjini baya eBhekuzulu Hall babuyela egameni elithi Zulu Royals United.
Ngowe-1987 umqeqeshi uClive Barker wahola iqembu lafinyelela kweyamanqamuyeMainstay ne-Iwisa Charity Cup, lapho lashaywa khona yiKaizer Chiefs. Ngowe-1990 iqembu lashaywa yiJomo Cosmos kowamanqamu weBob Save Super Bowl, kwathi ngowe-1992 ladla iCoca Cola Cup (eyayiqala ukuba khona) lishaya iChiefs ngo 3-1. Laphinde laqeda endaweni yesithathu kulogi.
Ngowezi-2005 uDkt uPatrick Sokhela wathenga iqembu kuMnu uSisa Bikisha. Wanquma ukubuyisela iqembu egameni elithi AmaZulu Football Club. Wabe esethenga igunya lokudlala ezingeni eliphezulu kuDynamos.
Ngowezi-2012 ukubungaza iminyaka engama-80 iqembu ladlala neManchester City yase-England eMoses Mabhida Stadium, lapho lashaywa khona ngegoli elilodwa.
Ngesizini yowezi-2014/2015 iqembu ladliwa yizembe. Ngemuva kokuhluleka ukubuyela phezulu ngesizini yowezi-2016/2017 abaphathi boSuthu bathenga isitifiketi seThanda Royal Zulusokudlala kuPremiership. AmaZulu acishe adliwa yizembe ngesizini edlule kwasiza ukungenelela kuku-Ayanda Dlamini njengomqeqeshi obebambile.
NgoMfumfu mhla zimbili ngowezi-2020 kumenyezelwe ukuthi iqembu selidayiselwe usomabhizinisi uMnu uSandile Zulu.
Ukhumbula izikhathi ephethe iNyoka Eluhlazana uMatatazela
Omunye wabantu ababa yingxenye ya-AmaZulu FC ngesikhathi ethengwa uDkt uPatrick Sokhela ngowezi-2005, uJames “Matatazela” Dlamini, uthi akasoze azikhohlwe izikhathi ezimnandi ngesikhathi esasebenza kuSuthu yize zikhona lezo ezazinzima.
UDlamini wasebenza ku-AmaZulu njengeMeneja kusukela ngowezi-2005 kwaze kwaba ngowezi-2012. Washiya Usuthu ngoba eseya kuLamontville Golden Arrows.
AmaZulu adayiselwe uMnu uSandile Zungu ngesonto eledlule. Lokhu kusho ukuphela kokuthi Usuthu luphathwe umndeni wakwaSokhela obese kwenzeke iminyaka eli-16.
UDlamini uthe akasoze akulibale ukuhlala kwakhe ku-AmaZulu yize kwakukhona izikhathi lapho isimo sasibuye singahambi kahle.
“Okungiphatha kahle ukuthi AmaZulu awakaze abe nezinkinga zemali selokhu athengwa ubaba uSokhela. Asikaze sizwe ukuthi AmaZulu anenkinga yemali kodwa siyazi sonke ukuthi abelokhu ehlushwa yisimo sezembe. UZungu lo othenge Usuthu uyindoda esingayethemba. Ngiyethemba ukuthi konke kuzohamba kahle iqembu liqhubeke ngendlela enhle nehloniphekile,” kusho uDlamini.
Uthe abantu kumele bakuqonde ukuthi AmaZulu ayiqembu elikhulu nelihlale lifakelana ingcindezi. “Abantu abazofika ku-AmaZulu kumele babe nothando lweqembu. Kufanele balithande iqembu bazi ukuthi uma besebenza kuleli qembu bamele uZulu wonke. Uma usebenza kuSuthu kumele wazi ukuthi usebenzela iqembu eliyigugu kakhulu. Ngifisasengathi iqembu lingabuyela ekwenzeni kahle njengoba kuke kwenzeka phambilini. Sonke siyazi ukuthi Usuthu lwake lwenza kahle ngowe-1992 lunqoba indebe yeCoca Cola Cup,” kusho uDlamini.
Uthe ukuqonda kahle ukuthi kungani umndeni wakwaSokhela unqume ukulidayisa iqembu yize ungenayo inkinga yemali.
“Ubaba uSokhela useke wagula kakhulu. Ngeke umuntu omdala aze ahambe emhlabeni ngenxa yokuthi iqembu libuye lidliwe yizembe. Ngiyasiqonda isimo esenze ukuthi ubaba uSokhela alidedele iqembu,” kuchaza uDlamini.
Ezikhathini ezingezinhle ezikhunjulwa uDlamini ukuthi kwakubuye kufanele bafihle okwenzeka ngaphakathi eqenjini.
“Kunezikhathi lapho sasike singakhokheleki ngesikhathi nokuyinto okwakumele siqikelele ukuthi ayiphumeli ngaphandle. Wonke amaqembu ayaba nezinkinga ngakho njengomuntu owayekhulumela iqembu kwakumele ngikufihle okungekuhle. Okuhleengikukhumbulayo ukuthi ubaba uSokhela wafika walimisa iqembungokubambisana noGraham O’Connor. Basebenza ngokubambisana okukhulu futhi sazithola siqeda kuTop 8 ngemuva kwesikhathi eside. Ngiyakhumbula ngesinye isikhathi sidlala neKaizer Chiefs uClive Barker eza kimina ezobuza okuthile bahhahhama abalandeli. Nokho ngemuva kwalokho wabonakala umphumela ngoba uJohn “Shoes” Moshoeu walishaya igoli. Ngemuva komdlalo abalandeli beza kimi bangixhawula,” kubeka uDlamini.
“Ngiyakhumbula futhi sishaya iMamelodi Sundowns kuNedbank Cup. Nangesikhathi kukhona uNeil Tovey ku-AmaZulu sasebenza kahle kakhulu”.
UDlamini uveze ukuthi wafika kuleli qembu ngemuvakokulandwa uZipho Dlangalala noThabo Dladla ngowe-2005.“Bangibona ngisasebenza e-University of Natal. Konke-ke okunye kwazenzekalela,” kusho uDlamini.
“Ngiyajabula ukuthi ngesikhathi ngishiya ku-AmaZulu ngahamba iqembu lisendaweni ekahle yesikhombisa. Njengoba ngishilo ubaba uSokhela usegule kakhulu abuye alulame. Ukube iqembu lidliwe yizembe ubezolahlekelwa yimali eningi kakhulu. Wonke amaqembu ayaba nezinkinga njengayo yonke imindeni. Konke kumele kugcinwe ngaphakathi”.
Njengamanje uDlamini usebenzela iReal Kings njengeMeneja yeqembu. Uphethe ngokuthi ulufisela okuhlekodwa Usuthu ngoba luyiqembu elikhulu.
