Akubuyelwe osikweni lwasePhefeni lokuba ngomagayazidlele
Sekuphele iminyaka engaphezulu kwemihlanu iKaizer Chiefs yagcina ukujabulisa abalandeli bayo.
Nakule sizini abalandeli baleli qembu laseNaturena bazoqhubeka nokubongela amanye amaqembu, azobe enqobe isicoco. Ngeledlule iChiefs isheshe yawasha ijezi emqhudelwanweni iNedbank Cup, ikhishwa iTS Galaxy ngegoli elilodwa eqandeni.
Bekungekhona okokuqala iTS Galaxy iphula izinhliziyo zabalandeli beChiefs, yakwenza lokho ngonyaka wezi-2019 iyihlula kowamanqamu kuwo njalo lo mqhudelwano kowawubanjelwe eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
Ukuphuma kweChiefs kusho ukuthi kule sizini awukho umqhudelwano womkhumulajezi esazowudlala, nakuligi angingabazi ukuthi ngeke ize iyithathe okuyiyo esayidlalela. Yize isele ngemumva ngemidlalo kodwa isicoco seligi sizoqhubeka nokuhlala kuMamelodi Sundowns.
IChiefs kumele ibuyele osikweni layo lakudala manje ukuze izokwazi ukujabulisa abalandeli bayo. Lelo siko ngokuthi ibe ngomagaya azidlele, lokho kuyisebenzele kakhulu eminyakeni edlule.
Ngeminyaka yowe-1970, iChiefs yavula uhlelo obelubizwa ngeYouth Development olwalunika izingane ezakhele iSoweto, eGoli. Ngalolu hlelo yakhiqiza abadlali abafana noRider Mofokeng, uWellington Manyathi, uDoctor “16 V” Khumalo, uThabo Mooki, uNtsie Maphike noTrevor Mthimkhulu ukubala abambalwa.
Ngowe-1996 yenze ubudlelwano neRand Afrikaans University (RAU) lapho ikhiqize khona izikwibhisi ezinjengoJabu “Shuffle” Mahlangu, u-Isaac Khongoane, uThabiso Malatsi, uButi Sithole, uNhlanhla Mathebula, uJunior Khanye, uLucky Mzizi noGerald Sibeko.
Ngamafuphi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi kubuyiswe uFarouk Khan, okunguye olime indima enkulu ekusizeni iChiefs yathola inqwaba yabadlali abadabuka ezindaweni eziyilokishi. Ngasekuqaleni kweminyaka yezi-2000 uKhan waba isekela likaTed Dimitru.
UKhan uma engabuya bese iChiefs inike ithuba u-Arthur “10111” Zwane ukuthi azibambele mathupha kukhona okungcono okungenzeka. UMangethe, abakaZwane, ulazi kakhulu isiko leChiefs udlalile kuyona wanqoba izinkomishi eziningi.
Vele kuzobe kusetshenzelwa entweni ekhona bakhona abadlali abancane, okuwuNkosingiphile Ngcobo, uHappy Mashiane, uMduduzi Tshabalala, uSabelo Radebe, uNjabulo Blom okungabafana abancane okumele ngempela banikwe ithuba.
IChiefs phambilini ibingakaze ibe nayo inkinga yonozinti, bheka manje kunzima ukubona ukuthi ubani osepalini. Ibingakaze nje imthenge unozinti, buka manje yake yabasenkingeni yaze yasayina uVirgil Vries owafike wangenza kahle.
Ngikhule mina ngazi ukuthi ijezi leChiefs aligqokwa inoba ubani, kodwa manje akusekho njalo. ULazourus Kambole, u-Akamu Agay akulona uhlobo lwabadlali beChiefs esikhule idla izindondo isizini nesizini.
Phezu kokuthi ibe omagaya ayidlele, abaphathi bayo iChiefs abamusa ukusaba ukukhipha inkece. Uma bezwa ukuthi bafisa ukusayina umdlali abamuthenge bengagcini nje ngokumfuna.
ISundowns ikhuluma kanye ibeke imali etafuleni buka nje isanda kusayinisa uTeboho Mokoena, owaqala ukuthi afunwe yiyo iChiefs kuqala. Inqwaba yabadlali abashisayo abanephupho lokudlubha ijezi leChiefs kodwa abathengwa.
Amakhehla asephelelwe isikhathi awahambe kuvuleke isikhala sabanye abadlali. UBernard Parker umgadli engimhloniphayo, kodwa uma efakiwe uqala umdlalo akangawuqedi umdlalo. Bazodlala nini oDumisani Zuma, uKgaogelo Sekgota, uRadebe.
Epalini ayibuyisele uKhune ongunozinti engisasho namanje ukuthi uhamba phambili eMzansi. Yize isihambile iminyaka kuyena kodwa emqhudelwaneni weDStv Compact simbonile evimba kahle kakhulu.