ZAKHELE XABA
IZAMA ukubuyisa umqeqeshi eyamkhomba indlela, uThami Ngubane, iRoyal Eagles esembhidlangweni wokunyukela ku-Absa Premiership.
I-Eagles kumanje isendaweni yesithathu ku-log yeNational First Division (NFD), ngamaphuzu angu-48 emuva kwemidlalo engu-26. Isanda kuchitha umqeqeshi uKhabo Zondo, yabambisa uBheka Phakathi obeyiphini lakhe.
Isolezwe lihoshe ngomthombo walo osondelene noNgubane ukuthi i-Eagles isezingxoxweni nalo mqeqeshi ukuze abuyele kuyo. UNgubane ungumqeqeshi we-African Warriors, etabalasa emsileni we-log yeNFD ngamaphuzu angu-19 emidlalweni engu-26. Kumanje akazihlanganisi naleli qembu ngokugcwele ngenxa yokuthi wacela kubaphathi ukugxila emzini wakhe osungenelwe yizinswelaboya izikhawu. Nokho emasontweni edlule kusabalale imibiko yokuthi umisiwe ngenxa yokungabonakali kwemiphumela kusukela ethathe izintambo. UNgubane uqale isizini ka-2015/2016 kuThanda Royal Zulu kodwa wakhonjwa indlela emuva kokumiswa ngabaphathi.
Zimnuka ku-Eagles nje, kwakuvele izindaba zokuthi uhambe kuleli qembu engasahoshelani nomphathi weqembu uSbu Mpisane.
“I-Eagles ikhuluma noNgubane mayelana nokuthi abuyele kuyona. Naye usefuna ukuzosebenza ngasekhaya ngoba ubhokelwe yizigebengu emzini wakhe, lapho sezimgqekezele khona kwaze kwaba kabili,” kusho umthombo.
“Leli qembu liyamdinga umqeqeshi oyaziyo iNFD ukuze liqhubeke nomgqigqo walo njengoba lisethubeni lokudla umhlanganiso ekupheleni kwesizini.”
Ngempelasonto i-Eagles ibuye namaphuzu agcwele eKapa ihlula iSantos ngo 4-0. NgoMgqibelo izokwamukela iBaroka emdlalweni weligi eHarry Gwala Stadium, eMgungundlovu. IBaroka isanda kwehlela endaweni yesibili ku-log emuva kokuzihola phambili isikhathi eside.
Ethintwa ngokumataniswa kwakhe ne-Eagles, uNgubane wenqabile ukuphumela obala wathi usenenkontileka neWarriors.
“Kuyiqiniso ukuthi angisaqeqeshi ngokugcwele ku-Warriors kodwa ngiyaya ukuyobheka indlela abaqeqeshi abasebenza ngayo maphakathi nesonto. Okwamanje nginenkontileka, ngeke ngikwazi ukukhuluma indaba yamanye amaqembu,” kusho uNgubane.
“Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ngacela ukushiya amaphini ami womabili ukuba abheke iqembu ngoba ekhaya ngibhekene nenkinga yokungena kwezigebengu. Umndeni wami uyangidinga, nosihlalo ngamchazela. Ngiyafika phakathi nesonto sihlanganise amaqhinga nabaqeqeshi.”
Ebhentshini leWarriors ngesikhathi idlala ngokulingana ngo 0-0 naMaZulu emdlalweni weNFD ePrincess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu, ngempelasonto, bekuhlezi uJohnny Mafereka noKhanye Klaas abangamaphini kaNgubane.
Imizamo yokuthola isikhulu se-Eagles, uRichard Makhoba, ayiphumelelanga kwazise ucingo lwakhe belukhala lungabanjwa okuthe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lwagcina seluvaliwe. Nomyalezo athunyelelwe wona akazange awuphendule.