Imithetho yebhola yakuleli ingenza uRadebe alibangise phesheya
Uphendlelwa isikhundla eqenjini laphesheya kwezilwandle, iLeeds United owayengukaputeni weBafana Bafana, uLucas “Rhoo” Radebe.
Le ngwazi eyintandokazi kuleli qembu eligijima ku-English Premier League (EPL) itshele elaboHlanga ukuthi kungenzeka ifudukele phesheya kwezilwandle ngonyaka ozayo. URadebe usahlonishwa namanje e-Elland Road okuyikhaya leLeeds. Kule ndawo kunesiphuzo esiqanjwe ngegama lakhe, iRadebeer, nendawo yokungena ebizwa ngeLucas Radebe Entrance, indawo yezicukuthwane iLucas Radebe Suite nomgwaqo oqanjwe ngegama lakhe.
Iningi labalandeli beLeeds bokuqina uma beqamba izingane zabo zabafana bazibiza ngoLucas ngenxa yamagalelo akhe kuleli qembu.
“Ngisenalo lelo lukuluku lokubuyisela ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika. Njengamanje ngisengxoxweni neLeeds mayelana neqhaza engingalibamba eqenjini. Ibhola laseNingizimu Afrika linezinxushunxushu zakhona. Kuningi ukungcola ebholeni lethu. Uma likhona ithuba lokuthi ngenze umehluko angeke ngiliyeke. Okwamanje ngisabheka izinto eziningi. Ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo kungenzeka ngibhekise amabombo e-England ukuyosebenza kuLeeds uma konke kuhamba kahle. Izingxoxo zisaqhubeka phakathi kwami neLeeds,” kubeka uRadebe engxoxweni ekhethekile nelaboHlanga.
Ngezikhathi zakhe uRadebe wadlala kuLeeds iminyaka eli-11. Wajoyina leli qembu ngowe-1994 esuka kuKaizer Chiefs. Uze wathatha umhlalaphansi edlala kulona ngowezi-2005.
“Kuningi engikwenzayo neLeeds. Siyakhuluma. Ngibheke ukufudukela khona ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo. Sisaxoxa mayelana nokuthi uma ngisebenza ngizosebenzela khona e-England noma sizoba nezinye izinhlelo ezizokwenza ukuthi ngisebenzele lapha eNingizimu Afrika. Nokho ngokubona kwami kungcono ngiyosebenzela ngakhona kodwa sizobona ngoba phela nami ngiyindoda yomndeni enezingane,” kuqhuba uRadebe.
Udlale imidlalo engama-256 kuLeeds. “Mina ngiyazifela ngezinhlaka zenkulisa. Kulapho engifuna ukuba khona. Uma ufuna isisekelo esiqinile kumele uqale emazingeni aphansi. Impumelelo yeqembu incike emaqenjini ezinkulisa. Uma yonke into ihamba kahle emaqenjini ezinkulisa, asuke emaningi amathuba okuthi nasemazingeni aphezulu izinto zihambe kahle. Yingakho ngingathandi ukuba phezulu. NakuLeeds ngifuna ukuyosebenza nabafana abancane,” kuchaza uRadebe.
Eminyakeni eyedlule uRadebe uke wakhombisa intshisekelo yokungenela ukhetho lokuba ngumengameli weSafa kodwa waphikiswa ngumthethosisekelo wale nhlangano ephethe ibhola kuleli.
Umthethosisekelo weSafa uphoqa abafuna ukungenela ukhetho ukuba babengamalunga ososeshini bangakubo. URadebe wayengeyona ingxenye noma ilunga likasoseshini wangakubo. Nokho manje uselilunga likasoseshini eDiepkloof, eSoweto.
“Ushintsho luyadingeka. Ukuze ibhola lethu likhule futhi liye phambili sidinga ukuthi izingwazi zibe yingxenye yobuholi bebhola. Sezadlula izinsuku lapho ibhola beliphathwa ngepolikiti. Uma sifuna ukubanga namazwe ahamba phambili emhlabeni kumele izingwazi zibe yingxenye yobuholi. Izingwazi zizokwazi nokuheha abaxhasi. Yingakho kumele banikwe izinkundla lapho bezokwazi ukwenza khona umehluko. Angisho ukuthi abaqashwe ebuholini obuphezulu kodwa abatshalwe kuzo zonke izifunda zeSafa ezweni,” kubeka uRadebe.
Phambilini uRadebe ubesethimbeni elibhekelela imiphumela yabaqeqeshi kuSafa.
“Angiseyona ingxenye yeSafa. Ngisithokozele isikhathi engisichithe ebuholini beSafa. Nokho awukwazi ukuba yingxenye yethimba elibhekelele abaqeqeshi iminyaka emihlanu kodwa kuleyo minyaka ungawuboni umehluko. Kumele sibone lapho sibheke khona. Ngaphezu kwalokho kumele singazikhohlisi. Iqiniso limqoka. Yingakho kumele uzibuze imibuzo ukuthi ngabe ukubakhona kwami kuleli thimba kuyawenza umehluko noma ngizokwandisa nje izibalo? Ngithole esihle isipiliyoni ngokuba yingxenye yeSafa ngoba sengiyazi ukuthi kwenzakalani ebholeni lethu,” kusho uRadebe.
Ngonyaka odlule, iSafa kuke kwavela ukuthi ibhekene nenkinga yezimali okuholele ekutheni idilize abasebenzi. “Imibono esinayo ngebhola lethu mihle kakhulu. Into esishoda ngayo ukubambisana ngoba esikwenzayo sikwenzela isizwe hhayi amagama ethu. Ipolitiki ayisasebenzi manje. Isikhathi sayo sidlulile. Izinto kumele zenziwe ngendlela eqondile ukuze abantu bezokwazi ukusethemba. Nabaxhasi bazobuya,” kulandisa uRadebe.
ILeeds ayizange iyiqale kahle isizini entsha ku-EPL kodwa ibuyise amathemba ngempelasonto edlule iguqisa iNorwich City.
“Okwamanje into engigxile kuyona ukuyosebenza kuLeeds. Yize ngisenaso isifiso sokuhola iSafa kodwa ukuyosebenza kwami phesheya nakho kuzolisiza izwe ngezindlela eziningi,” kubeka uRadebe.
ILeeds ihlezi endaweni ye-17 kulogi ye-EPL. “Ngeneme ngendlela iLeeds eyenza ngakhona. Yisizini yethu yesibili le ku-EPL. Ngeszini edlule senze umsebenzi omuhle iqembu lahlala esigabeni esiphezulu. Manje sesibheke ukuhlala enye isizini. Asiqalanga kahle. Sidinga amanye amawini ukuze sisuke emaqenjini abalekela izembe,” kuphetha uRadebe.
Khonamanjalo ngeviki elizayo iqembu lesizwe lakuleli lizobhekana neZimbabwe neGhana emidlalweni emibili yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba eQatar ngonyaka ozayo. “UHugo Broos wenza umsebenzi oncomekayo kuBafana kodwa akumele seqiwe yinjabulo. Ukhalo luselude. Okuhle wukuthi siqale kahle. Osekusele wukuhamba ngalo mgqigqo. Ukuze sikwazi ukudlala kweyeNdebe yoMhlaba kumele siqale sikhonye kuCosafa Cup bese silwela ukwenza kahle ku-Afcon. Ngemuva kwalokho singabe sesilwela iNdebe yoMhlaba,” kuphetha uRadebe owayephethe ibhande ngesikhathi iBafana idlala kweyoMhlaba ngowe-1998 nangowezi-2002.
IBafana iqhwakele ngamaphuzu alishumi ngemuva kwemidlalo emine eqoqweni layo.
