UZOLANDA amandla ekhaya KwaZulu-Natal umdlali we-Orlando Pirates, uThembela Sikhakhane, obolekwe AmaZulu anyakazise izihosha ekhuza ibuya kwi-Absa Premiership.
Isikhulu saMaZulu, uLunga Sokhela yiso esiqinisekise ukuthi uSikhakhane obekhuhla ibhentshi ngesizini yakhe yokuqala kwiPirates uzobe egijima kuSuthu ngo-2017/2018.
“USikhakhane ngomunye wabadlali esizobe sigijima ngabo ngesizini ezayo. Simboleke kwiPirates isizini yonke. Amava akhe okudlala kwiPrmiership azosisiza. Bawu-8 abadlali esizimisele ukwengeza ngabo esikwatini sethu esibuyela ngaso kwiPremiership,” kusho uSokhela, ekhuluma neSolezwe ngoMgqibelo esoLundi lapho Usuthu ludidiyela khona iLegacy Cup oluhlose ukuhlonipha ngayo uMntwana waKwaPhindangene, uMangosuthu Buthelezi.
USikhakhane udabuka khona oLundi kanti kungenzeka kumsize ukuqala inyathuko yakhe kuSuthu enkundleni ayazi ukusuka nokuhlala, uLundi Stadium. Kule nkundla ubegijima kuyo esengukaputeni weGqikazi All Stars ebidlala kwi-ABC Motsepe Safa KZN 2nd Division League ngaphambi kokuthengwa yiLamontville Golden Arrows ngo-2013.
I-Arrows wehle nayo uSikhakhane ngesikhathi igawulwa yizembe waphinda wayisiza yabuyela kwiPremiership ngemuva kwesiizni eyodwa idlala kwiNational First Division.
“Ngizoqhubeka nakuMaZulu ngilisebenzele ijezi njengoba bengizokwenza kwiPirates. Angicelanga ukulekwa ngoba bengingaliphosi ithawula kodwa ngithe uma ngitshelwa ngokubolekiswa ngakwamukela. Ngiyathemba kuzongisebenzela ngibuyise umfutho. Ngiyazi nakhona ijezi ngeke ngilicoshe phansi,” kusho uSikhakhane.
Efika kwiPirates ngaphansi kukaMuhsin Ertugral uSikhakhane ubelithola ijezi kodwa kuphele isizini eselizwa ngendaba ngaphansi kukaKjell Jonevret waseSweden.
U-Ertugral ubeke wasebenza nalo mdlali wasemuva kwi-Arrows.
UJonevret, ohleli ngesinqe esisodwa yize fike sekusele izinyanga kuphele isizini, uncamela uThabo Matlaba noNtsikelelo Nyauza emuva kwesokudla lapho ejwayele ukudlala khona uSikhakhane.
Ubengomunye wabadlali abagqamile kwi-Arrows ngesikhathi eshiya uSikhakhane kangangoba uze wabizwa nasesikwatini seBafana Bafana esinqobe iCosafa Cup eNamibia ngaphambi kokuthathwa yiPirates.
Okunye okuzokwehla kahle kuye wukuthi AmaZulu azoyidlalela eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza imidlalo yawo yasekhaya nokuyinkundla ayazi ukusuka nokuhlala kwazise ubedlala khona efika kwi-Arrows.
Indlela kaSikhakhane ifana ncamashi nekaNkosinathi Mthiyane yena odlala emuva kwesokunxele.
USikhakhane naye uwela uThukela uma eya ekhaya kwazise ngowaseMpangeni.
Yena ubegijima kuMaZulu ethengwa yiPirates kodwa ufike wathwala kanzima kuMatlaba noPatrick Phungwayo waze wabolekiswa kwi-Arrows.