SINEMINYAKA engaphezulu kuka-25 izwe lethu labuyela ebholeni lamazwe omhlaba nasenhlanganweni elawula ibhola e-Afrika. Kule minyaka kumbalwa kakhulu esingaziqhenya ngakho sithi sikuzuzile njengezwe.
Sineqembu elilodwa i-Orlando Pirates elinenkanyezi eyodwa ngokuwina i-African Champions Cup ngo-1995. Siphinde sibe neqembu elilodwa iKaizer Chiefs elanqoba i-African Cup Winners Cup (Mandela Cup) ngo-2001.
Ngaphezu kwalokho sibala i-Africa Cup of Nations eyanqotshwa yiBafana Bafana ngesikhathi singosokhaya balo mqhudelwano ngo-1996. Uma usuka lapho ubheka okunye esesikuzuzile e-Afrika ugcina usunwaya ikhanda uzama ukukhumbula okunye esingaziqhayisa ngakho.
Angifuni nokuyiphatha eyemiqhudelwano yeFifa yamazwe omhlaba wonke okuye kwenzeke singene kuyo ngoba isikhathi esiningi singena sekuvalwe amehlo, sifike kuyo sembuleke izinqe ngenxa yobuthuntu bethu.
Ngilanda lo mlando nje yingenxa yokukhathazeka kwami ngokungesekwa ngendlela kwamaqembu ethu asimela emiqhudelwaneni yamaqembu ase-Afrika ehlelwa yiConfederation of African Football (Caf).
Okunye ukwehluleka kwamaqembu ethu kulele kuSafa nakuPSL. Lezi zinhlangano ezilawula ibhola kuleli kudingeka zihlale zisebenzisana kakhulu ukuhlelela amaqembu ePSL asuke emele izwe lethu emidlalweni yeCaf. Ngeshwa lokhu akuvamile ukwenzeka ngokugculisayo okuyinto egcina ikhubaza iqembu lakuleli elisuke limele izwe kule miqhudelwano.
Okwenzeke kule sizini kona kulihlazo elikhulu njengoba sesikhuluma ukuthi wonke amaqembu amane abesimele iMamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Bidvest Wits ne-Ajax Cape Town aphume kungakafikwa nasemdlalweni yamaqoqo kule miqhudelwano yeCaf kulo nyaka.
OkweWits ne-Ajax kona kube yisibonelo esibi njengoba bebelibeka ngembaba elokuthi bazigcinela icala nje ngokudlala kuConfederation Cup. Zimbili izizathu ebezenza lokhu. Amaqembu akuleli ayawunyanya lo mqhudelwano ngoba athi awukhokhi ekubeni izindleko zokudlala kuwo – wehla wenyuka ne-Afrika yonke – zingehluke ngalutho kwezeChampions League.
Esinye isizathu esenza amaqembu akuleli ahileke kule miqhudelwano yisikhathi asinikwa yiPSL ukuhlelela le midlalo. Abaqeqeshi bakhale kaningi kuPSL ngemidlalo yeligi abayidlala phakathi nesonto ekubeni besuke benemidlalo yeCaf okusuke kufanele bayidlale ekhaya noma ekuhambeni ngempelasonto.
Yilapho iSafa nePSL befanele ukweseka khona amaqembu akuleli ngoba iyaziwa nengqalasizinda yokundizisa amabhanoyi e-Afrika ukuthi ayikabi sezingeni lase-Europe la khona kulula ukudlala kwamaqembu akhona emiqhudelwaneni yamaqembu akhona efana nale yeCaf.
Isibonelo salokhu kungesekwa kwamaqembu akuleli sigqamile nakuleli sonto njengoba iSundowns ibidlala neqembu laseGhana, iMedeama SC ekuhambeni. Ngaphambi kwalo mdlalo iSundowns ehlulwe kuwo ngo 2-0 umqeqeshi wayo uPitso Mosimane ukhale ngesikhathi esincane abe naso ukulungiselela lo mdlalo. Ukhale ngokuxinwa yimidlalo yePSL njengoba bekumele baphuthume kuleli ukuze babhekane nePlatinum Stars kowoku-songa iligi kusasa.
Ngendlela isimo esibi ngayo uMosimane ngaphambi komdlalo uthe ngeke baze bathole ngisho ithuba lokugeza ngemuva kokudlala neMedeama eGhana ngenxa yesikhathi. Lokhu akulona ihaba kodwa kugqamisa indlela esilimaza ngayo amaqembu asimele kule midlalo yeCaf.
Yebo, nezinga lamaqembu ethu kumele libhekwe kodwa uma ingalungisiwe le ndaba yokuweseka ngesikhathi kuyohlale kunzima ukuwabona equkula izindebe zeCaf. Uma ke sisahluleka ukwenza into ebonakalayo kule miqhudelwano singalindela kanjani ukuthi iBafana iphinde iqukule i-Afcon ngelinye ilanga?
Ngithokozile nxa ngizwa kuthiwa iPSL ihlela ukuhlehlisa ukuqala kwesizini ezayo ngoba yeseka iqembu lesizwe lika-Under 23 elizobe limele elakuleli kuma-Olympic eBrazil. Izinqumo ezifana nalezi ezidingekayo nasekwesekeni kwamaqembu ePSL adlala kule miqhudelwano yeCaf.
Izindodla zemali esizwa kuthiwa zizofakwa yiFifa kule miqhude-lwano yeCaf nokuhlelwa kabusha kwayo kusukela ngonyaka ozayo sethemba ukuthi kuzowagqugquzela namaqembu akuleli ukuthi ashintshe lo mlando wethu ongemuhle. Kodwa lokho kuyoncika ekwesekweni kwawo yiPSL ibambisene neSafa.