ZAKHELE XABA
UKHATHAZWA wukuphisana kwezakhe ngamagoli umdlali wasemuva waMaZulu, uSfiso “Choppa” Hlanti, oshaye into ecokeme Usuthu luphunyukwa ngamaphuzu amathathu ekugcineni luthelwa isibhaxu yiKaizer Chiefs.
UHlanti waseMadadeni, eNewcastle, ukholwa wukuthi nakuba inhlanhla ingabavumi kusukela kuqale isizini ka 2014/2015 kodwa ukunikela kwabo ngamagoli yikhona okwenza isimo sibe nzima kakhulu. AmaZulu azovakashela iPlatinum Stars emdlalweni we-Absa Premiership ozoba seRoyal Bafokeng Stadium, eRustenburg, ngoMgqibelo ngo 6 ntambama. USuthu alukaze lunqobe nowodwa umdlalo kusukela kuqale isizini. Lusahlezi emsileni we-log ngamaphuzu amane emuva kwemidlalo engu-10. Seluvuzise amagoli angu-14, lwashaya ayisihlanu kuphela.
Emasontweni adlule, AmaZulu, aphoxe ekugcineni ngesikhathi engenelwa yigoli sekuyisikhathi esengezwe ngunompempe nelenze ukuthi agcine ekhale ngaphansi ngo 2-1. Kulo mdlalo Usuthu beluhambe phambili ngegoli likaBongani “Drogba” Ndulula kodwa Amakhosi agcina edlulile ngamabili kaGeorge Lebese.
“Ngendlela esidlala ngayo nesizinikela ngayo ensimini, kufanele ngabe sesisukile emsileni we-log kodwa akwenzeki. Kubuhlungu kithina ngoba ekugcineni sinikeza amaqembu amagoli asuke engawasebenzelanga,” kusho uHlanti owayegijima kuThanda Royal Zulu.
“Cishe wonke amaqembu esisuke sibhekene nawo ayasincoma ngendlela esidlala ngayo kodwa ekugcineni akukho esiphuma nakho ensimini. Nokho sizoqhubeka silwe ngokubambisana singabadlali futhi umoya wobumbano uphezulu kakhulu. Kufanele singagebisi amakhanda, siyeke ukuzama.”
IDikwena izobhekana noSuthu ivivela umdlalo wamanqamu weTelkom Knockout neSuperSport United ose-Orlando Stadium, eSoweto, ngoNovemba 29. IStars esendaweni ka-15 ku-log yePremiership, ishiyana naMaZulu ngamaphuzu amane. Isashaye amagoli ayisikhombisa, yangenelwa angu-13. Ukubhimba kwezinto kuStars kungase kuvune Usuthu oludinga amaphuzu ukwehlisa amaphaphu kubalandeli bebhola KwaZulu-Natal ababona sebezophindwa ngeseLamontville Golden Arrows egawulwe yizembe ekupheleni kwesizini edlule.
“Kwesinye isikhathi kufanele sikhohlwe ngamanye amaqembu, sinake indlela thina esifuna ukudlala ngayo. Kubuye kungasizi ukulokhu siwacubungula ngoba kwesinye isikhathi kufika kwenzeke okunye enkundleni,” kusho uHlanti.
“Njengokujwayelekile, ngeke kube lula ukubhekana neStars kodwa kufanele sibhukule singabadlali, sigqugquzelane ukuze siqale ukucosha amaphuzu. Emdlalweni weChiefs sasusa imiqondo yethu emdlalweni. Akufanele sikuvumele lokho.”
Ejimini yoSuthu kubuye umdlali wasemuva uLuyanda Hlongwa okuthiwa uzozama inhlanhla. UHlongwa ushiye kuleli qembu ngesizini edlule, wayojoyina iPolokwane City kodwa wagcina exoshiwe nakhona. USuthu luzophinde ludlale ngaphandle kukaMarc van Heerden, Ayanda Dlamini, Larry Horaeb, noNhlanhla Shabalala abalimele.