EZINYANGENI ezedlule, umakadebona ebholeni lakuleli u-Ephraim “Jomo” Sono, unyelwe inyoni esandleni ehlonishwa wumqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, uHugo Broos ngendondo yethusi abayinqobe ngokulala isithathu kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ebise-Ivory Coast.
Nakuba engadingi kuchazwa amagalelo kaSono ebholeni lakuleli kodwa iqiniso lithi akekho obelindele lokhu.
Le ngwazi engumnikazi weJomo Cosmos esidlala kwiSafa Gauteng ABC Motsepe League, ikhiqize inqwaba yabadlali bezinga eliphezulu.
Ngaphandle kokuthi ngezikhathi zayo beyiwumdlali wezinga eliphezulu e-Afrika nasemhlabeni, beyiwusomaqhinga iBafana inqoba i-Afcon ngo-1996, ngaphansi komqeqeshi ongasekho, uClive Barker.
Ibiyinhloko yabaqeqeshi iqembu lesizwe lithola indondo yesiliva kwi-Afcon yango-1998, eBurkina Faso.
Uyena uSono obeqeqesha iBafana eNdebeni yoMhlaba yango-2002 eSouth Korea. IBafana izoqhubeka ngoJuni ngokuhlungela imidlalo yeNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026.
USithembiso Mkhize (SM) ube nengxoxo ekhethekile noJomo Sono (JS) ukuzwa ukuthi uzizwa kanjani ngalesi sipho sikaBroos nokuzwa umbono wakhe ngokunye okuthinta ibhola laseNingizimu Afrika.
SM: Kusho ukuthini kuwe lokhu okwenziwe uBroos?
JS: Ngizizwa ngibusisekile futhi ngithobekile. Ukukhuluma iqiniso, bengingasilindele lesi sipho ikakhulukazi sivela kumqeqeshi uBroos.
Kuyajabulisa uma amagalelo akho ebonwa nangabantu bangaphandle kwakuleli.
SM: Ngaphambi kokuthi akugixabeze ngale ndondo ngabe beninabo ubudlelwano noBroos?
JS: Ha! ha! ha!. Lutho, besingakaze sihlangane ngisho endleleni. Ukuze ngithole le ndondo seyisezandleni zami, bengisemahhovisi eSafa (South African Football Association) ngiyobhunga okuthile nezikhulu zayo. Kuqondanile kanti noBroos ukhona.
Ube eseza kimi ngenhlonipho, wanginika le ndondo. Uthe unginika yona ngoba ehlonipha amagalelo engiwenzile ebholeni lakuleli kusukela ngo-1996 kuze kube yimanje.
SM: Ube sewuthini kuyena?
JS: Ngibonge nganconcoza. Ngithe kuye le ndondo ngizoyibeka endaweni yekhethelo lapho kukhona eyegolide ye-Afcon ka-1996, eyesiliva yomqhudelwano ka-1998 nezinye engihlonishwe ngazo.
SM: Bese kuphele isikhathi eside iBafana yagcina ukwenza kahle kwi-Afcon. Nothando lwayo kubantu bakuleli lubukeka luqala ukubuya. Ngokubona kwakho ngabe lo mqeqeshi uzokwazi ukuphinda aqede ibhadi lokuhlulwa ukungena kwiFifa World Cup?
JS: Ukulala indawo yesithathu kwi-Afcon kweBafana kukubeka kucace ukuthi uyakwazi akwenzayo. Kuyabonakala ukuthi unohlelo oluqondile asebenzela phezu kwalo. Wonke umuntu kukhona lapho ebuthaka khona kodwa ngimbona iBafana eyifaka eNdebeni yoMhlaba (ka-2026). Kuyiko nje ukuthi kubuye kube nezinto ezingaphezu kwamandla akhe.
SM: Njengomuntu oliqondayo ibhola lakuleli ngabe kukhona ongameluleka ngakho?
JS: Okokuqala kuzomele abonise iSafa ukubaluleka kweqembu lika-Under 23. Eminyakeni edlule impumelelo yeBafana ibilele kulo. Iqembu lika-Under 23 kumele lihlale likhona futhi lizanyelwa imiqhudelwano.
Ngingamluleka uBroos ngokuthi anike uHelman Mkhalele umsebenzi wokuliqeqesha aphinde (uMkhalele) aqhubeke nokuba yiphini lakhe kwiBafana. Banobudlelwano obuhle. Okunye kuzomele akhe ubudlelwano namaqembu ePSL (Premier Soccer League). Engikuqaphelayo kabububuhle.
SM: Kuthini ukuphawula kwakho ngezinga labagadli bakuleli? Nakule sizini kubukeka kungaba umlingo ukuthi kube khona oshaya amagoli awu-20. UBroos ukushilo ukuthi ngabe benze kahle kakhulu kwi-Afcon ukube ubenonyazi lo mgadli.
JS: Enye yezinto ebengithi zingaphezu kwamandla kaBroos ukushoda kwabagadli. Lehle kakhulu izinga labo. Ngokubuka izinto kusazophela iminyaka ukuthi kube khona ozophula irekhodi lamagoli awu-25.
Lokhu ngikufanisa neminyaka esazophela ukuthi i-Orlando Pirates neKaizer Chiefs baqede ukukhonya kweMamelodi Sundowns.