U MA kukhulunywa ngabadlali bangaphandle kwaseNingizimu Afrika abafike kuleli balishukumisa ibhola, alisali igama likaRoger “General” Feutmba waseCameroon owayeseqenjini leMamelodi Sundowns leminyaka yawo-1990 elalicoboshisa kwasani kuPremier Soccer League. Empeleni uFeutmba, owayehlonishwa ngobunyoninco bokuphakela abagadli ibhola, uthathwa ngabaningi njengomdlali wangaphandle ohamba phambili kunabo bonke asebake bagijima ezinkundleni eNingizimu Afrika. Ujoyine iSundowns ngo-1996 emuva kokuthi ebonwe yisikhulu seqembu uNatasha Tshiclas edlalela iqembu lesizwe laseCameroon lidlala neBafana Bafana emdlalweni weMandela Challenge ngo-1994. Wayesuka ku-KV Kortrijk yaseBelgium eyaqala ngokumbolekisa kuSundowns.
UFeutmba uwine isicoco seligi kathathu kulandelana ngaphansi kobuholi bomqeqeshi, uTed “Makepisi” Dumitru ngesizini ka-1997/1998, 1998/1999 neka-1999/2000. Ngeka-1998/1999, uhlabane ngomklomelo wePSL Player’s Player of The Season. Ngaso isikhathi sikaDumitru iSundowns yadla neNedbank Cup neTelkom Knockout. Ngo-2001 bahlulwa yi-Al Ahly kowamanqamu weCaf Champions League. Leli qembu elalisatshwa kuleli, lalishaya ngabadlali abafana noDaniel “Mambush” Mudau, Raphael Chukwu, Charles “King Charlie” Mothlohi, Joel “Fire” Masilela, Jethro “Lovers” Mohlala, Isaac Shai nabanye. Cishe iyona le mpumelelo eyadonsa isiqumama uPatrice Motsepe owathenga amasheya angu-51% ngo-2004.
UFeutmba uxoxe no Zakhele Xaba ngempumelelo yakhe ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika nalapho ephumele obala ngokuthi kusazothatha iminyaka ukuthi iSundowns ibuyele ezingeni eyayikulo ngezikhathi zabo ngenxa yokuhambisa imali phambili nokujaha ukuthenga abadlali ababizayo.
ZX: Uvele wanyamalala ebholeni. Kwenzekani?
RF: Kunjalo. Uma usuphelelwe wuthando entweni kufanele uyiyeke. Yilokho-ke okwenzeka kimina ngesikhathi sekuqale izinguquko kuSundowns emuva kokufika kukaMotsepe. Abadlali abaningi esasinabo base beshiyile, izinto zingasahlangani. Ngaphandle kwalokho ngase ngikhathele, ngabona kufanele ngiphindele emndenini wami eCameroon. Kodwa ngike ngaba yibamba lomqeqeshi kancane kuSundowns ngaphambi kokuhamba. Sengigxile ekuqeqesheni iqembu engakhula ngilidlalela, i-Union Douala.
ZX: Kungani waqoka ukuzodlala e-Afrika washiya iqembu laphesheya kwezilwandle?
RF: Kwesinye isikhathi kufanele ulandele inhliziyo yakho. Ngesikhathi uNatasha engicela ukuthi ngijoyine iSundowns angizange ngingabaze. Ngangingazi lutho ngebhola laseNingizimu Afrika kodwa ngaqunga isibindi ngoba inhliziyo yami yayifuna. Ngaleso sikhathi abantu abaningi babethi kuzoliwa eNingizimu Afrika emuva kokuphuma ejele kukaNelson Mandela kodwa mina angikunakanga konke lokho.
ZX: Awusitshele ngempumelelo yenu kuSundowns.
RF: Sasineqembu elalinabadlali ababesezingeni eliphezulu, sisebenza ngokukhulu ukumbanisana. Abadlali abafana noMudau, Masilela, Mohlala, Themba Mnguni babenza umsebenzi wami ube lula. Sawina izindebe eziningi. Kusazothatha iminyaka ukuthi iSundowns ihlanganise iqembu eliyofika kwelethu ngezinga.Ngaphandle kwalokho sasinomqeqeshi uTed Dumitru engisamthatha njengophambili kwabakhona eNingizimu Afrika futhi baningi abedlulayo emhlabeni. Uyalazi ibhola. Wangisiza kakhulu ekutheni ngizuze okuningi ebholeni. UNatasha wayelazi ibhola, enayo imali kodwa wayekuqonda ukuthi ngeke uyithenge impumelelo.
ZX: UMudau, ohamba phambili emlandweni wePSL ngamagoli angu-108, ubonga wena ngalokhu.
RF:(ehleka kancane) Ngizizwa ngihlonipheke kakhulu. Abantu abazi ukuthi mina noDaniel sasizwana kangakanani nangaphandle kwenkundla. Ngangimbeka emthandazweni uma ngithandaza ngoba ngangazi ukuthi nami ngiyamdinga ukuze ngiphumelele. Ibhola akuwona umdlalo womuntu oyedwa. Namanje usafana nomfowethu. Ngiyajabula kakhulu ngempumelelo yakhe ngoba ukuba wayengaphumi ezikhaleni ezifanele, ngabe nami ngangihlale ngingazi ukuthi ngizolinika ubani ibhola.
ZX: Sitshele ngezikhathi ezimnandi nezibuhlungu ohlangabezane nazo kuSundowns.
RF: Ziningi izikhathi ezimnandi engaba nazo kuSundowns kodwa ukuwina iligi kathathu kulandelana kwaba ngenye yezinto engiyohlale ngizigqaja ngakho. Okwangiphatha kabi ukuphikwa kwegoli lethu elalishaywe nguMasilela sagcina sihlulwe yiKaizer Chiefs kowamanqamu weRothmans Cup.
ZX: Kukhona ozisola ngakho ebholeni?
RF: Ngiyazisola ngokungasheshi ukuzodlala eNingizimu Afrika ngisemncane. Angisho ukuthi ngabe izinto zahamba ngenye indlela kodwa ngabe ngazuza izinto eziningi ebholeni. Ngiyazi ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi kwakunzima kubadlali abaphuma ngaphandle.
ZX: Izinga lePSL linjani uma uliqhathanisa nangesikhathi senu?
RF: Izinga lehle kakhulu. Ngesikhathi sethu babebaningi abadlali ababegqamile ikakhulukazi abagadli. Thina sasinoMudau noChukwu, iPirates ishaya ngoJerry Sikhosana owayehlale eyingozi. Kwakukhona noThabo Mngomeni, Doctor Khumalo nabanye. Yikho ngithe kusazothatha isikhathi ukuthi iSundowns ihlanganise iqembu elizoletha impumelelo. Angikholwa ukuthi ukuthenga abadlali ababizayo kungayiletha. Abaphethe kufanele bakuqonde ukuthi ngeke kuphinde kube khona abanye oShai, Bapela (Alex), Mudau. Kufanele bakhohlwe ukuthembela emalini. Kufanele abaphethe kuSafa basebenze kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni abadlali ngoba ligcwele ikhono kulelizwe.
ZX:Uthini umyalezo wakho kubalandeli bebhola eNingizimu Afrika abakuthandayo?
RF: Ngiyabonga kakhulu ngokungeseka kwabo. Ngiyazi namanje ukuthi basangithanda. Kuyangijabulisa ukuthi ngawenza umehluko ekuthuthukeni kwebhola kuleli. Nakuba ngiqeqesha ekhaya kodwa ngingathanda ukuthola umsebenzi eNingizimu Afrika ukuze ngibuyisele kubantu lokhu ababenginika khona ngisadlala.
n OKUNYE: UFeutmba ushade noRegina futhi babusiswe ngamadodana amabili afunda enyuvesi ngokwehlukana.