OWAYENGUMQEQESHI weBafana Bafana, u-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, udonse ngendlebe uStuart Baxter ngokuthi akayeke ukutshelwa ngabantu mayelana nabadlali okufanele badlalele iqembu lesizwe.
UMashaba, ongumqeqeshi wokugcina ukuhola iBafana izibekisele indawo emqhudelwaneni emikhulu, usanda kuthatha umsebenzi wokucija iWitbank Spurs esemsileni we-log yeNational First Division (NFD).
Uxoshwe kwiBafana ngo-2016 yiSouth African Football Association (Safa) imsola ngokudicilela phansi igama layo. Ngaphansi kobuholi bukaBaxter iBafana ihlulekile ukuzibekisela indawo kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ekade iseRussia nyakenye. Isengcupheni yokungalubhadi kwi-Afcon ezodlalelwa e-Egypt nonyaka.
UMashaba ubona kulinqinda amandla iqembu lesizwe ukwenzelela uma kuqokwa abadlali abazoyibamba kwiBafana. Iqembu lakuleli lizobhekana neLibya emdlalweni okufanele nakanjani lingahlulwa kuwona ngoMashi ekuhambeni.
“Okuzosenza siwine wukuthi kuyekwe ukukhetha iphela emasini. Njengomqeqeshi sebenza nethimba lakho. Okwesibili yeka le nto yokuthi abantu bakutshele ukuthi lo mdlali ulungile. Hlala ezinkundleni ubuke umdlali edlala. Le nto eyenzeka manje, kunabadlali abangafanele ukudlalela iqembu lesizwe. Anginandaba nokuthi abantu bathini kodwa yiba laphaya, ukuthi kanjani, nami angazi. Kunabadlali abangekho eqenjini lesizwe okufanele engabe bakhona. Mina benginalo mqondo wokuthi uma uzibona ukuthi ungcono, awufuni ukudlalela iqembu lesizwe, kulungile. Benginomqondo wokuthi uma engekho lo ophezulu, yakha omunye abe phezulu. Thatha bona laba abangasafuneki, bazokushayela inethi baphinde bakumakele. Uzoyithola imiphumela,” kusho uMashaba.
“Kodwa ngifuna ukuthi kumqeqeshi okhona manje, yenza izinto ngomqondo ovulekile. Ungayi laphayana uzitshela ukuthi ngingubani, ngenzeni, ngiphumaphi. Cha. Izolo, inamuhla nekusasa ngeke kufane. Ungawina indebe namuhla kodwa ungaphinde ngokulandelayo. Hlala phansi ucabange ukuthi ngayiwina kanjani indebe, usukele lapho.”
UBaxter usevele unuka iqaqa kubalandeli abaningi eMzansi ngokushiya ngaphandle abadlali okubukeka bengayisebenzela iBafana. Kulaba badlali kukhona uXola “Ten Ten” Mlambo we-Orlando Pirates. UMashaba ubethatha abadlali abanganakekile kodwa bamenzele umsebenzi kwiBafana okubalwa kubona uThamsanqa Gabuza wePirates noSiphelele Ntshangase weKaizer Chiefs.
Uthe uyamzwela uNtshangase ngoba kumfanele ukudlalela iBafana.
“Njengomqeqeshi yekela ukufakwa umoya omubi ngabantu. Ngoba lo mdlali akazange ahloniphe umuntu othize, kusetshenziswa wena ukuthi umphathe kabi. Vuleleka. Wonke umdlali osezingeni elifanele, mdlalise. Ngiyazwelana naye ngoba ufanele ukuba seqenjini lesizwe. Ngaphandle kwalokho, kufanele ngabe udlala njalo eqenjini lakhe. Kodwa ke singathini, wumqondo wethu eNingizimu Afrika,” kusho uMashaba.
Lo mqeqeshi uphinde waphawula ngodaba lukaGabuza olube sematheni ngonyaka odlule lapho eduba khona ukudlala, washwibela ijezi kubalandeli bePirates emuva kokushaya igoli bekade bemhhewula.
“Uma uza ebholeni ungezi ngezinhloso ezithile noma uvumele ukutshelwa ukuthi loya mdlali akalungile. UGabuza besimgcina eqenjini lesizwe, ukuthi enze into eyodwa. Hhayi ukuganga nokuthi abaleke eqe izingcingo kodwa ukuthi azodlala ibhola. Samtshela emehlweni ukuthi yilokhu esikulindele kuwena. Sifuna ukukusebenzisa laphaya ukuthi wenze lokhu.
Uma usuqedile usungenza noma yini. Ubelalela uGabuza futhi adlale. Ngaphoxeka ngesikhathi umqeqeshi wePirates (Milutin Sredojevic), ephawula kwithelevishini ethi uGabuza uphumile esandleni. Nhloboni yomqeqeshi leyo ebulala umdlali kanjalo. Awukwazi ukukwenza lokho. Myeke ayenze le nto kodwa uma sekuphele umdlalo umbize umtshele ukuthi into ayenzayo ayilungile. Engikuthandayo wukuthi bamhlalise ebhentshini, okuthe sebembuyisa washaya igoli. Uthini kuwena qobo ngomdlali onjalo,” kuphetha uMashaba.