ZAKHELE XABA
K UZOPHELA amahlathi kubadlali abahudula izinyawo kuMaZulu aseqashe umqeqeshi omusha, uSteve Barker, obepheka i-University of Pretoria ku-Absa Premiership.
UBarker osule isigubhukane kwiTuks ngeSonto ekuseni, uqale ngegiya eliphezulu ejimini yoSuthu izolo ekuseni. Unengcindezi yokushintsha izinto ngokushesha, asuse leli qembu emsileni we-log yePremiership.
Ngokujwayelekile ejimini yoSuthu abadlali bayazifudumeza bese bephoselwa ibhola. Nokho izolo kubonakale okuhlukile, uBarker ubahlukanise amaqembu amabili anabayisishiyagalombili ngalinye. Indlela obekushube ngayo bekubuye kukhale isicathulo njengoba bekucaca ukuthi bonke abadlali bazimisele ukuzigcina izindawo zabo esikimini.
Iningi labadlali ebelijuluka ebeliboshelwa ngobebambile, uWilfred Mugeyi. Elinye iqembu belivinjelwe nguSiya Mngoma owayengukaputeni wamaTuks ngesikhathi enyukela ku-Absa Premiership ngaphansi kobuholi bakhe uBarker.
Izolo lomqeqeshi ubezigoqele izandla enkabeni yenkundla, ebiyisigamu senkundla ejwayelekile, engakhulumi namuntu elokhu elandela ibhola ngamehlo kucaca ukuthi ufuna ukubuka umdlali ngayedwa.
Izinga eliphansi lokujinyiswa kwabadlali kuMaZulu ngezinye zezinto ezikhulunyelwa phansi ikakhulukazi ngoba elengelwa yizembe futhi engakaze awine nomdlalo owodwa kusukela kuqale isizini ka-2014/2015. Ngesikhathi uSteve Komphela evikisa izembe iMaritzburg ngesizini edlule, ufike waqala usiko lokuqeqesha leli qembu kabili ngosuku nokusheshe kwamsebenzela kwazise iqembu lakhe beligijima umdlalo uze uphele.
Okhulumela AmaZulu, uPhilani Mabaso, uthe baningi abaqeqeshi abebebheka kubo ngaphambi kokuvumelana noBarker.
“Besibheka umqeqeshi esingakwazi ukumthola ngoba abanye ebesibazama asikwazanga ukubathola ngezizathu ezahlukene. Abanye bebengeke bakwazi ukuzoqala ngokushesha kanti besingeke sisakwazi ukulinda esinye isikhathi. Naye uBarker ubethanda ukuzoqeqesha AmaZulu,” kusho uMabaso.
“Okuhle ukuthi uzoba nesonto lonke lokusebenza neqembu nokuzomnika isikhathi esanele sokubukisisa abadlali.”
AmaZulu bekufanele abhekane neSuperSport United emdlalweni wePremiership kodwa wahlehliswa ukunika Amatsatsantsa isikhathi sokulungiselela owamanqamu eTelkom Knockout nePlatinum Stars ozoba se-Orlando Stadium, eSoweto, ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama.
Phakathi kwabaqeqeshi okuthiwa Usuthu belubagaqele kukhona ngisho umqeqeshi weMaritzburg United, uKomphela, ofike washintsha izinto eMphithi sekulahlwe ithemba noJulio Leal waseBrazil owake wazibamba izintambo eMbelebeleni.
Isikhulu saMaZulu, uLunga Sokhela, sicashunwe ku Mercury sithi: “Esizibekele khona ukuthi ngoDisemba sisuke emsileni we-log. Kuyaziwa ukuthi sifuna ukugcina iqembu likuPremiership. Ukuqeda ku-Top 4 akusekho manje.”
Emdlalweni wokuqala kaBarker ebhentshini loSuthu, uzobhekana namaTuks ePrincess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu, ngoDisemba 2. Ngaphambi kokuphela konyaka, AmaZulu azobhekana neMpumalanga Black Aces (Disemba 6) eMagogo, Maritzburg United eHarry Gwala Stadium, eMgungundlovu (Disemba 12), Ajax Cape Town,Cape Town Stadium, eKapa (Disemba16). Azogcina ngeMoroka Swallows eMabhida ngoDisemba 20.