EVUMBUKA ebholeni elikhokhelayo ngo-2015 njebhobhodleyana uPhakami Mahlambi, kwabatshazwa ithalente waze wafaniswa nensephe enguBenni McCarthy, nokube nenhlansi yethemba eseyodlala ngaphansi kwayo kuMaZulu.
Emidlalweni eyevile eshumini uMahlambi ebolekiswe yiMamelodi Sundowns kuMaZulu, acijwa nguMcCarthy, usalithole kabili ijezi nakhona esuka ebhentshini futhi akakakhombisa iminyakazo adume ngayo.
Ugcine ufikile kuMcCarthy, obalwa nabadlali abaphambili abakhiqizwe yiNingizimu Afrika nabake badlala phesheya, umbuzo othi kwenzakalani ngoMahlambi?
“Kimi okuhamba phambili wukusebenza ngokuzikhandla kunethalente. Lokhu ngihlezi ngikusho. Ungaba nendathane yethalente kodwa kufanele ulilekelele ngokuzikhandla, uma ngingakuboni lokho, uma abadlali (abanethalente) benganginiki lokho (ukuzikhandla engikudingayo) ngizohamba nalokho (nalabo abazikhandlayo),” kusho uMcCarthy, ongakehlulwa kuMaZulu kusuka kuqale u-2021.
EkaMahlambi ubeyikhuluma nabezindaba emuva kokwehlula iKaizer Chiefs ngo 2-1 eFNB Stadium ngoLwesithathu. UMahlambi (23) esikhundleni sokudlondlobala, ulandelwa yizindaba ezimbi ngemikhuba yakhe yangaphandle kwenkundla.
Akwaziwa namanje ukuthi yini eyenze i-Al Ahly yambuyisela eMzansi engakayiqedi inkontileka yakhe kaR20 million. Nyakenye uxoshwe ekhempini yeBafana eyayiseThekwini, nokulandelwe yimibiko engaqinisekiswanga yokuthi ufike ekhempinni yeqembu lesizwe ebukhile.
“Angisho ukuthi akasebenzi ngokuzikhandla kodwa abadlalayo kusho ukuthi bazikhandla ngokwedlulele, yingakho bezithola bese qenjini elidlalayo. Uma ungekho esikimi, kusho ukuthi awenzi okwanele ngakho kumele uzame ukufinqa imikhono ufice labo abasenkundleni,” kusho uMcCarthy.
“Ngeshwa mina ngisebenza kanjalo. Anginazimfivilithi, abekho abakhethiweyo kodwa wukuzikhandla okweseka ithalente lakho. Lokho ngeke kushintshe. Ungaba ngumdlali onethalente eliyisimanga kodwa uma ucabanga ukuthi uzosetshenzelwa ngozakwenu, akwanele kimi lokho. Angisiye umqeqeshi wakho ongadlala ngaphansi kwakhe.”
Ngaphandle kukaMahambi, omunye umdlali onegama kuMaZulu kodwa ongalitholi ijezi yinsephe uSiphiwe Tshabalala, nokho yena okuqondakalayo ukuthi iminyaka isihambile kanti nyakenye akazange adlale nhlobo njengoba ebenganalo iqembu.