LUNGILE MAJOKA
O BENGUMQEQESHI weqembu lesizwe lika-Under 20, u-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, uzofaka igxalaba ekuqokweni kozoba ngumqeqeshi waMajita.
Lokhu kuvele esitatimendeni esithunyelwe yiSafa ngemuva kokuthi uMashaba efake Amajita kuCaf Youth Championship ngokushaya iCameroon ngo 2-1 ngempelasonto emdlalweni womlenze wesibili wokuhlunga. IYouth Championship izodlalelwa eSenegal ngoMashi. UMashaba useqale umsebenzi wokupheka iBafana Bafana.
“Manje ngingathanda ukucela isizwe ukuba siwaseke wonke amaqembu esizwe ngoba sifuna ukubuyisa ukuthi baziqhenye ngawo,” kusho uMashaba enanela ngokuthi uzonika iSafa uvo lwakhe ngokumele athathe izintambo kuyena.
“Ngiyaziqhenya ngalaba bafana. Bakhombise okukhulu ukuzimisela, isibindi, nokungalilahli ithemba. Yilokhu engikulindele kuwona wonke umuntu ogqoka ijezi lesizwe, ukulwela izwe lakho nokuzikela,” kusho uMashaba.
Umqeqeshi ozothatha kuMajita kuzomele aqhubeke lapho kugcine khona uMashaba, afake iqembu kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ezoba seNew Zealand ngoNovemba wonyaka ozayo. Indawo yaMajita kweyoMhlaba izoncika ekutheni aqede ebalwa emaqenjini amane azobe ephezulu kuYouth Championship.
Iqembu lakuleli lika-Under 20 lagcina ukungena kuNdebe yoMhlaba ngo-2009 e-Egypt liphekwa nguSerame Letsoaka obeyiphini likaGordon Igesund kuBafana.
Ukuphela kwenkontileka ka-Igesund kuBafana kusho ukuthi nakuLetsoaka uphelile umsebenzi eqenjini elikhulu kwazise uMashaba uqoke u-Owen da Gama noThabo Senong njengabasizi bakhe
Eqenjini ayelihlanganisile uLetsoaka elaphuma kuLast 16 kwiNdebe yoMhlaba, wayebophele abadlali afana no-Andile Jali, Kamohelo Makotjo, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Dareen Keet, Kermit Erasmus, Thulani Serero, Mandla Masango, Sibusiso Khumalo noGeorge Maluleka bonke okwakubhekwe ukuthi kwakhelwe kubona iBafana njengoba kwakubhekwe ku-Africa Cup of Nations ka-2010 e-Angola, osekuwumlando ukuthi iBafana ayizange ilubhade khona.
Laba badlali, ngaphandle kukaSerero, Maluleka no-Erasmus, babiziwe eqenjini likaMashaba elizodlala eyokuhlungela i-Afcon eseMorocco ngonyaka ozayo. IBafana izodlala neSudan ngoLwesihlanu ekuhambeni bese yamukela iNigeria eKapa ngoSepthemba 10. Lolu lwazi lokusebenza nabafana abancane yilona olungenza uLetsoaka abe sethubeni lokubuyela kulesi sikhundla.
Abanye abaqeqeshi asebeke bapheka Amajita phambilini uMaqsood Chennia ongazange anikwe lo msebenzi ngokugcwele ngemuva kokubamba isikhathi esingangonyaka, kunalokho wagixatshezwa uKhabo Zondo. USolly Luvhengo naye uke wawapheka Amajita.