‘KUNAMAQEMBU agidagida ndawonye, angakhuli kwi-Absa Premiership, angifuni iHighlands Park ifane nawo.”
Lokhu kushiwo umqeqeshi weHighlands Park ongumakadebona, * -Owen Da Gama, olibeke ngembaba elokuthi ufuna ezakhe zibe ngcono kakhulu ngesizini ezayo ngoba akafuni ukubalwa namaqembu angakhuli kunalokho ashona phansi.
UDa Gama ukusho lokhu ngemuva komdlalo wezakhe naMaZulu FC, eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza, ophele ngo 0-0 ngoMgqibelo ebusuku.
Kule sizini iLions Of The North imangaze abaningi njengoba ingakashaywa amaqembu athathwa njengayizinkunzi ebholeni okuyiKaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates neMamelodi Sundowns.
EzikaDa Gama sezidlale kabili nePirates (kube ngu 2-2, no 1-1), zadlala ngokulingana neSundowns (kwaba ngu 0-0), zaphinde zabambana neChiefs ngo 0-0. UDa Gama, oke waba yiphini lika-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba kwiBafana Bafana, uzishaya isifuba ngakwenze kwiPlatinum Stars kumasizini edlule.
UDa Gama wafika neSilver Stars (eyagcina isiyiPlatinum Stars) kwi-Absa Premiership ngesizini ka-2003/2004.
“Iqembu lami lizobe lingcono kakhulu ngesizini ezayo ngenxa yokuthi lizobe selinesipiliyoni sokudlala kwiPremiership. Isifiso sami wukuthi ngenze okufanayo nengakwenza ngesikhathi ngisaqeqesha iPlatinum Stars. Ngesizini yethu yokuqala (kuseyiSilver Stars), yaphela isizini sikunombolo 11. Ngesizini yesibili saqeda sisendaweni yesikhombisa. Ngesizini yesithathu salala isihlanu, ngesizini yesine saphuma isibili sanqoba nesicoco seTelkom Knockout,” usho kanje uDa Gama.
Eqhubeka echaza lo mqeqeshi uthe ngokwakhe kufanele ngabe amaqembu ayazihlupha ngokuthi akhule angadlali ibhola elifanayo nabelidlala ngesizini edlule.
“Ngokwami kufanele ngabe amaqembu ayazihlupha ngokukhula. Kunginika ithemba futhi kungiqinisa idolo ukuthi kunamaqembu angakhuli nhlobo lapha kwi-Absa Premiership. Angisazi isizathu salokhu kodwa kuyenzeka. Isifiso sethu lapha kwiHighlands wukuthi sikhule njalo kube khona umehluko esiwubonayo,” kusho uDa Gama owake wasolwa ngokugwazisa abadlali eminyakeni edlule.
Umdlalo olandelayo weHighlands Park izowudlala neMamelodi Sundowns ngeSonto, eMakhulong Stadium.