Uthi akaziboni ebuyela ekhaya ngokushesha uHlongwane
Isilomo somdlali weBafana Bafana uBongokuhle Hlongwane ulaxaze izinkunzi zamaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika wakhetha ukuyodlala phesheya kwezilwandle.
UHlongwane obegijima kuMaritzburg United edlala kuDStv Premiership. Ngeledlule usayine inkontileka yeminyaka emithathu neMinnesota United.
UHlongwane uxoxe nelaboHlanga ngokufudukela e-USA lapho eyodlala khona kuMajor League Soccer (MLS) nokuyiligi enkulu kuleliya lizwe.
Zipho Singela (ZS): Ngabe uzizwe kanjani uthola izindaba zokuthi usuyodlala phesheya kwezilwandle?
Bongokuhle Hlongwane (BH): Ngijabule ngendlela eyisimanga ngoba ukuyogijima phesheya kwezilwandle bekuyiphupho lami ngisakhula. Bengingalindele ukuthi lingafezeka ngokushesha okungaka. Nami ngithukile ngithola lezi zindaba kodwa futhi ngajabula ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kusho ukuthini kimina. Ngizimisele ngokulibamba ngezandla zombili leli thuba.
ZS: Lapha ekhaya kuke kwavela ukuthi amaqembu afana neMamelodi Sundowns neKaizer Chiefs ayakucathamela kodwa wena uvele wakhetha ukuyodlala phesheya. Kungani ulaxaze la maqembu?
BH: Yebo, kuyiqiniso ukuthi kunamaqembu abefuna ukungisayinisa lapha ekhaya. Ngicabanga ukuthi kuyiphupho labo bonke abadlali abancane abasakhula ukugijima emaqenjini amakhulu eNingizimu Afrika kodwa noma kunjalo akekho ongathandi ukuyodlala phesheya kwezilwandle. Inhloso ngokujoyina amaqembu amakhulu kusuke kukuwenza isitebhisi sokuya phesheya kwezilwandle nokudlalela iqembu lesizwe. Mina ngibe nenhlanhla engandele bani ngokuthi ngiyadlala kuBafana futhi ngithole isicelo sokuyodlala phesheya. Yingakho ngikhethe ukuya e-USA. Ngifuna ukukhula njengomdlali ngiphinde ngifunde izinto ezintsha ezweni elisha. Ngikuqonda kahle ukuthi angeke kube lula kodwa ngiyayazi into engiyiyela e-USA.
ZS: Ukudlalela iBafana nokuya phesheya kwezilwandle kuza nodumo. Wena ubhekana kanjani nale ngcindezi?
BH: Akuyona into ezoba inkinga kimina. Udumo angeke ngilufake ekhanda. Udumo angeke ngilubalekele. Okumqoka kimina wukuthi ngiqhubeke nokwenza kahle. Abantu bangithandela ukuthi ngenza kahle enkundleni. Yingakho-ke kumele ngiqhubeke nokwenza kahle ukuze nabantu baqhubeke bangithande. Uthando engilithola kubathandi bebhola eNingizimu Afrika yilona olungigqugquzelayo. Angizimisele ukubaphoxa abantu bangakithi. Nami ngiyazi lapho engiphuma khona. Ngikhule kanzima.
ZS: Ibhola liyiguqule kanjani impilo yakho?
BH: Liyiguqule kakhulu. Ngikhulele emndenini lapho besidonsa kanzima. Ngebhola ngikwazile ukuguqula isimo somndeni wami. Kubuhlungu nje ukuthi ngizobashiya kodwa okuhle wukuthi ngiyomela wona umndeni wami nabantu baseNingizimu Afrika phesheya kwezilwandle.
ZS: IMaritzburg United ikusize kanjani?
BH: Engikwenzelwe yiMaritzburg angisoze ngakukhohlwa. Leli qembu lingithole ngingaziwa langinika ithuba lokudlala ezingeni elikhokhelayo. Phezu kwalokho liphinde langivulela ithuba lokudlalela iqembu lesizwe nokuya phesheya kwezilwandle. Iqembu eliyohlale lisenhliziyweni yami ngaso sonke isikhathi.
ZS: Eminyakeni eyedlule sibone abadlali bakuleli beya phesheya kwezilwandle bafike bahlale iminyaka emincane bese bebuyela kuleli. Wena yini ozoyenza eyehlukile ukuze uhlale iminyaka eminingi?
BH: Anginaso isiqiniseko sokuthi kungani besheshe babuya. Angizazi izizathu ezibenze basheshe babuya. Ziningi izinto engihlose ukuzizuza. Okokuqala ngifuna ukuzakhela igama ngemuva kwalokho bese ngiya kwamanye amaligi ahlonishwayo emhlabeni. Nokho okwamanje ukujwayela isimo sase-USA ngiphinde ngikhule njengomdlali. Iminyaka isavuma. Ngizimisele ngokudlala isikhathi eside phesheya ngoba inhloso yami wukuzakhela igama elihle khona.
ZS: Konke kukuhambela kahle kodwa okubi wukuthi iBafana ayikho emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu.
BH: Yebo, siphatheke kabuhlungu ngokuthi asiyanga ku-Africa Cup of Nations. Kuyiphupho labo bonke abadlali abagijima ezingeni eliphezulu ukubhekana nabadlali abahamba phambili e-Afrika. Okubuhlungu kakhulu wukuthi naseNdebeni YoMhlaba ngeke siye. Lokhu kusiphatha kabi ngoba sonke besifuna ukuyomela iBafana eNdebeni YoMhlaba. Nokho sizophinde sizame futhi. Okuhle iqembu lesizwe seliyahlangana futhi iningi lethu lisavunywa yiminyaka. Sizoqhubeka nokusebenza kanzima ukuze sibuyise injabulo kubalandeli bebhola kuleli. Siyabuqonda ubumqoka bokwenza kahle kweqembu lesizwe futhi ngokuzayo sizokwenza isiqiniseko wokuthi nathi siba khona emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu.
ZS: Siyabonga kakhulu ngesikhathi sakho.
BH: Kubonga mina ngethuba.