KUNINGI ebesingakwazi ngoPhilemon “Chippa” Masinga. Njalo uma kukhulunywa ngale nkakha yeBafana Bafana okufika kuqala emqondweni yinguzunga yeshodi ayishaye ngo-Agasti 1997 iqembu lakuleli lesizwe libhekene neCongo-Brazzaville.
Isithombe sikaClive “The Dog” Barker owayeqeqesha iBafana ngaleso sikhathi endizisa okwenyoni naso siyohlale njalo simataniswa noMasinga. Kungenxa yaleli goli ayeliphakelwe uDoctor Khumalo iBafana iziqophele umlando ngokungena okokuqala kwiNdebe yoMhlaba kwiNingizimu Afrika ekhululekile.
Akulona lodwa lelo goli uMasinga okufanele akhunjulwe ngalo ngoba emaqenjini awadlalele umhlaba wonke ubewaqhulula amagoli kusukela esekwiJomo Comos, Mamelodi Sundowns, Leeds United yase-England, St Gallen yaseSwitzerland nakwiBari yase-Italy ukukha nje phezulu.
Izingwazi zeBafana ezadla i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ka-1996 zikhala ezimathonsi ngokudlula emhlabeni kukaMasinga ngempelasonto eneminyaka engu-49 ubudala. Uzofihlwa ngoLwesine oluzayo kanti kusasa kuhlelwe inkonzo yesikhumbuzo eGoli. NgoLwesibili inkonzo yesikhumbuzo izoba seNorth West lapho edabuka khona okuyilapho ezothunelwa khona futhi.
Doctor “16v” Khumalo
:
“Yisikhathi esinzima kithina sonke esixhumene nonobhutshuzwayo wakuleli. Silahlekelwe kakhulu. Ubesemncane futhi kuyethusa ngoba ngike ngaya kombona esibhedlela sizihlalele nje sincokola njengenjwayelo. Inkinga ibe sekutheni asuswe esibhedlela esithile ayiswe kwesinye. Besingebona abangani. Besisondelene ngendlela yokuthi bese singabandawonye. Sidlala phesheya besithintana nsuku zonke. Uyena (Masinga), Shoes (John Moshoeu, ongasekho) noMotaung (naye ongasekho). Uma singabiziwe kwiBafana bekuba yichilo ngoba sasiphilela ukuba seduze kukaClive (Barker) nawo wonke umndeni weBafana. Ubeyindoda yamancoko kodwa yena ebe engahleki.
Jomo “Bra J” Sono
:
“Kusiphule kakhulu umoya thina njengomndeni wakwaSono ukushona kwakhe ngoba ubehlala nathi ngesikhahti efika esuka eNorth West. Esemncane ezacile. Yena nabanye abadlali abaziwayo baqale bahlala nathi. Ubesemncane kakhulu. Ngifisa sengathi ngabe ngimbonile ngaphambi kokuthi asishiye. Bengifisa nje ukumbuza ukuthi njengoba esesibhedlela ubani ozongcwaba mina ngoba kuqale ngoSizwe (Motaung) kwalandela uThomas (Madigage) bangishiya. Ukwenze konke obekufanele akwenze emhlabeni. Ubeyingwazi yebhola yaseNingizimu Afrika. Ushiye umaka ongeke wasuswa. Nginesifiso sokuthi mhla efihlwa, kube nomzuzu wokuthi yonke into ethinta ibhola ime. Ngaleyo ndlela uyojabula ahambe kahle ngoba ngeke kumthokozisi ukugqumuza ingoma.
Daniel “Mambush” Mudau
:
“Ngiphelelwe amazwi ngoba ngoLwesine olwedlule ngike ngaxhumana nomkakhe wangitshela ukuthi bayamshintsha isibhedlela kodwa uma ngifuna ukumbona umfowethu ngishayele yena (umkakhe) ucingo kuqala. Bengihlele ukuyombona ngoMsombuluko lo ashone ngeSonto eliphambi kwawo. Ubengeyena umdlali ojwayelekile. Uqhubekile nokusebenza ngebhola ngisho esewabeke ethala amakhokho. Silahlekelwe umholi. Ngifunde lukhulu kuyena yize ngimdala kunaye. Ubephiwe ngezindlela eziningi. Ukudlala naye kungikhulisile. Ubehlale ethi uma sihlangene ngeke bakwazi ukusimela okufanele basimake. Ngiyohlale ngimkhumbula futhi bengazi ukuthi ubengithanda. Ubengikhonzile kodwa-ke okuhle ukuthi besiphathene ngendlela efanayo. Ubelishaya igoli lowa bhuti. Ungifundise ukuhlala ebhokisini uma ngifuna ukushaya amagoli. Ngibuhlungu.
Lucas “Rhoo” Radebe
:
“Ngibe nenhlanhla ngahlala naye kuleli kwaphinde kwenzeka okufanayo nase-England. Kulahlekelwe izwe lonke hhayi thina futhi hhayi umndeni wakhe kuphela. Ubeneziphiwo ezingajwayelekile. Noma yikuphi lapho efika khona bekuzwakala ukuthi usefikile ngaphandle kokuthi akhulume. KwiLeeds ngagcina ngihlonipheka ngenxa yokuthi uyena owayehlonishwa ngangenake esikhaleni ngoba ngangifike naye sisuka ezweni elilodwa. Ubelishaya igoli. Ubemqonda futhi umuntu uma kukhona angakutholi kahle ngaye noma ngesimo. Noma ngabe amazwi akhe azothunuka abathile amakhona ubengenankinga yokuwaphimisa. Ubenenhliziyo emnene futhi ubuwazi ukuthi ungaya naye empini. Uma enza into ubezinikela ngokuphelele. Yingakho bengimkhonzile noma besikhonzene. Izwe lonke alilahlekelwe uPhil kepha lilahlekelwe umuntu obesengalinika okukhulu ngezindlela eziningi ngoba ubengenawo umona wolwazi. Ngisashaqekile.
Neil “Mokoko” Tovey
:
“Ubejika asabeke uma sekusethenzwa. Ukube sinabadlali abafana naye namuhla ngabe indaba yokuzibekisela indawo emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu ayiyona inkinga kithina ngoba wayelwa ngakho konke anakho. Ubeyisikhali sethu ngoba besidlala maphakathi sithembele kuShoes (Moshoeu) noDoctor (Khumalo) kodwa ubesitshela njalo ukuthi sihlale simbheke ngoba uma esele nesitobha esisodwa bekufana nokuthi usele yedwa. Besikwazi sonke lokhu futhi uma senza njengoba esuke eshilo besiwathola amagoli. Kunesikhahti lapho simncenge khona sonke efuna ukulaxaza iBafana ngoba ehhewulwa abantu acabanga ukuthi kufanele ngabe bayameseka. Bese kuyithina abalandeli bakhe sisenkundleni naye simkhumbuza njalo ukuthi angabalaleli abantu abangekho enkundleni. Sike samncenga futhi efuna ukushiya iBafana ngoba ebona ukuthi isikimu siyinkinga uma esebuyela eqenjini lakhe phesheya. Siyambonga uMdali ngaye siyabonga futhi nokuthi wasilalela okwaholela ekutheni sonke sithole indondo yegolide kwi-Afcon, sadlala nakwiNdebe yoMhlaba ngenxa yegoli lakhe.