Kuzodela uMakhasana phakathi koSuthu neZinyoni ngeSonto
Okwenza lo mdlalo ube nesasasa ukuthi womabili amaqembu agabe ngabaqeqeshi abasebancane futhi abakhombisa ubuhlakani
Uma kukhulunywa ngamaqembu amadala adlala ngaphansi kwePremier Soccer League (PSL), angeke asala ngaphandle AmaZulu FC neMoroka Swallows esiyaziwa ngeSwallows FC.
La maqembu anomlando ebholeni lakuleli azotholana phezulu emdlalweni weDStv Premiership okokuqala kule sizini ngale mpelasonto.
Kuyinto engabuzwa ukuthi kuzoguga utshani enkundleni iVolkswagen Dobsonville Stadium, okuyilapha okuzobe kudlalelwa khona lo mdlalo.
Isizathu esizokwenza lo mdlalo ube ngozothokozelwa ngabalandeli emakhaya ukuthi la maqembu enza kahle kakhulu kulezi zinsuku.
ULefa Tsutsulupa owazakhela udumo kuSwallows ekhuluma nelaboHlanga uthe lo mdlalo uzoba nzima kakhulu kuSwallows. “Ngibe nenhlanhla yokuthi ngiyibuke imidlalo ya-AmaZulu edlule, adlala kahle kakhulu yize enamaphutha amancane emumva kodwa uma kuyiwa phambili kunzima ukuthi anqandeke. Anabagadli abenza kahle, engibala uNtuli (Bongi), uMulenga (u-Augustine), uMajoro (uLehlohonono) uMthembu (Sphelele). Abadlali basemumva beSwallows kuzomele bazi ukuthi bazosebenza ngokuphindaphindekile kulo mdlalo,” kusho uTsutsulupa.
UTsutsulupa ongowokuzalwa eLadybrand, waqala ukudlalela iqembu elidlala esigabeni esikhokhelwayo ngeBloemfontein Celtic kusukela kunyaka we-1999 kuya kowezi-2003. Washiya edlale imidlalo engama-78. Wabe eseyibamba kuJomo Cosmos kusukela ngonyaka wezi-2003 kuya kowezi-2005, wadlala imidlalo engama-26.
Emva kwalokho ube esejoyina iMoroka Swallows, adlala kuyona iminyaka eli-10, waba ngukaputeni amasizini amahlanu aqukula nayo iNedbank Cup ngesizini yangowezi-2008/09. Igama lakhe like lavela eqenjini lesizwe adlala kulo imidlalo eyisi-6.
Eqhuba uthe: “Umqeqeshi woSuthu uBenni McCarthy usebenzise ubuchule ngesikhathi ephumuza uSiyethemba Sithebe emdlalweni odlule, uzoya kulo mdlalo engakhathele futhi uzoba ingozi enkulu naye.”
ISwallows FC iyadinga kakhulu ukunqoba lo mdlalo ngoba kuzomele ivale igebe phakathi kwayo neMamelodi Sundowns ehlezi phezulu kulogi ngamaphuzu angama-33 emva kwemidlalo eli-15.
Leli qembu eliqeqeshwa uBrandon Truter lihlezi endaweni yesithathu, emva kwemidlalo eli-14 linamaphuzu angama-28 induku aliyazi nhlobo. USuthu lona luhlezi endaweni yesi-7 kulogi ngamaphuzu angama-21.
UTsutsulupa uncome isitobha seSwallows uNjabulo Ngcobo wathi sihlezi sisendaweni enhle yokuthi singavimba ingozi. Uthe indlela adlala ngayo uNgcobo imkhumbuza uMbulelo “OJ” Mabizela owazakhela udumo ku-Orlando Pirates.
Ebuzwa ukuthi njengoba iligi ingena esiwombeni sesibili nje uyayibona yini iSwallows FC iqhubeka nokubalwa namaqembu aphezulu.
Uthe: “Mina ngibe umdlali webhola isikhathi eside, ngiyabazi ubunzima besiwombe sesibili sesizini. Kulesi sigaba akunqeni ukuthi iqembu elisemsileni lihlule elisesicongweni. Ngiyafisa ukuthi uTruter angenzi izinguquko singekho isidingo, kumele asebenzise iqembu ahlezi enqoba ngalo. Ngiyethemba ukuthi izobalwa namathathu aphezulu uma kusongwa iligi.”
Uthe bonke abadlali kusukela esiswini kumele bazi ukuthi balwela ukushaya amagoli kungalokhu kubhekwa umdlali oyedwa okunguRuzaigh Gamaldien. Lo mgadli usevalele phakathi amagoli ayisi-9.
“Uma kungathiwa ulimala imidlalo emihlanu kungabe kusho ukuthi ngeke ikwazi ukushaya amagoli iSwallows. Abadlali kumele benyuse amasokisi manje iligi isesiwombeni lapho othi uma uqhuzukile kube nzima ukuthi usheshe uphole. Okokugcina ngifisa ukuthi iSwallows ilwele ukushaya lawa maqembu okuthiwa makhulu,” usho kanje.
UTsutsulupa kuyimanje wenza iSport Marketing kwaPuma South Africa, lapho ebheka abadlali okubalwa uThembinkosi Lorch, uThemba Zwane, uLebohang Maboe neqembu iJomo Cosmos.