UMA kungaya ngamazwi enkakha edlalele i-Orlando Pirates, uSteve “Chippa” Lekoela, amaqembu athathwa njengamakhulu eNingizimu Afrika azophela yinduku njengoba kubuya imidlalo yePremier Soccer League (PSL) ngempelasonto ezayo.
ULekoelea utshele Isolezwe ukuthi ukungabi khona kwabalandeli, kuzowalimaza kakhulu amaqembu amakhulu kuleli iPirates, Kaizer Chiefs neMamelodi Sundowns ngoba abalandeli bayawagqugquzela amaqembu abo.
Ukumenyezelwa kokubuya kwemidlalo yePSL kuthakaselwe kakhulu kuleli, yize kubekwe kwacaca ukuthi abalandeli abadingeki esibayeni lapho kuzodlalelwa khona imidlalo eGoli.
Sekuphele izinyanga ezinhlanu kungadlalwa ibhola kuleli ngenxa yokubheduka kwegciwane iCorona edla kwasani.
“Kuzoba nzima kakhulu emaqenjini ukudlala ngaphandle kwabalandeli. Azodonsa kanzima amaqembu amakhulu afana neChiefs, Pirates neSundowns. Phela kuzobe kufana nokuthi amaqembu ayaziqeqesha nje, ngeke kusafana nasekuqaleni. Lokhu ngikubona kuyingozi enkulu kakhulu, singabona isimo lapho amaqembu athathwa njengamancane engathela othulini amakhulu ngoba kuzobe sekufana nokuthi kuyalinganwa.
“Nanokuthi abadlali abafani nhlobo, kukhona okungeke kusheshe kugxile emiqondweni yabo ukuthi abalandeli kabekho, abazozidlalela nje ngokunganaki. Impela ukungabi khona kwabalandeli kuzowalimaza amaqembu amakhulu. Nginesiqiniseko sokuthi ahleka wodwa amaqembu amancane ngoba ayazi ukuthi nakanjani asethubeni elihle lokunqoba,” usho kanje uLekoelea.
Umbango wesicoco seligi uphakathi kweChiefs ezihola phambili neSundowns esendaweni yesibili.
Ebuzwa uLekoelea ukuthi ubona ukuthi sizonqotshwa ngubani isicoco seligi uthe: “Kunzima kakhulu ukusho njengamanje ngoba abadlali ngeke besadlala ngendlela efana nasekuqaleni. Ukube lo mbuzo ungibuze ngaphambi kokumiswa kwemidlalo bengizowuphendula kalula kakhulu. Kuzothatha imidlalo okungenani emibili ukuthi amaqembu akujwayele ukudlala ngaphandle kwabalandeli, ngakho kusavulelekile kakhulu”.
I-Pirates okwakuyiqembu eladlalelwa uLekoelea, kuvalwe ibhola idlala ibhola elihle. Empeleni selokhu amatomu abanjwa uJosef Zinnbauer waseGermany, kuyihambela kahle iPirates ngemuva kokuphenduka ihlaya isaphekwa uRulani Mokwena, ogcine ebuyele kwSundowns.
“Umqeqeshi wePirates wenza umsebenzi omuhle kakhulu. Uma iqembu lingaqhubeka lidlale ngale ndlela, nakanjani ngesizini ezayo kukhona okuyisicoco elingakuthola. Mhlawumbe indawo edinga ukulungiswa udonga ngoba beluthanda ukuvuza. Kugqame kakhulu lokho ngesikhathi sikaMokwena,” kulandisa uLekoelea.
Yize iPirates ingakaqinisekisi kodwa imibiko iveza ukuthi ukaputeni weBafana Bafana uThulani “Tyson” Hlatshwayo uzoya kweZimnyama. Kuthiwa usayine inkontileka yeminyaka emihlanu.
USTEVE Lekoelea ngesikhathi esayibamba kwi-Orlando Pirates ngesizini ka-2002/2003 yeCastle Premiership bebhekene neKaizer Chiefs, eFNB Stadium, ngo-2003Isithombe: BACKPAGEPIX