Wathunjwa ngaphambi koweChiefs
KUBADLALI bakanobhutshuzwayo bangesikhathi esidlule ababenekhono elimangalisayo kodwa abashesha ukushabalala kulo mdlalo, nakanjani uSkiri Gumede ungomunye wabo.
Wumdlali lona owabe edle ngomjiko futhi eshesha. Uthi nxa abalandeli bemhasha bethi: “Mahlafuna egijima njengenkentshane,” babesho indlela ayedlala ngayo yokushaya amagoli ngisho egijima, exinwe yizitobha.
UKUZALWA NOKUKHULA KWAKHE
Amagama aphelele kaSkiri nguElliot Sipho Gumede. Wazalwa mhla ka-12 kuNdasa (March) ngo1955 KwaNyuswa kodwa uthe evula amehlo umndeni wakubo ubusuhlala eKlaarwater, entshonalanga yeTheku. Ufunde eKlaarwater Primary nasePhezulu Secondary athola khona iJunior Certificate.
UHAMBO LWAKHE KUNOBHUTSHUZWAYO
USkiri uqale ibhola esafunda, eqokwa ukudlala eqenjini elikhulu lesikole sakhe uma sibhekene nezinye.
Ubengumgadli okhahlela ngazo zombili izinyawo obekwenza akwazi ukudlala ophondweni lwesokudla noma lwesobunxele ngokufanayo.
Uqede esikoleni ngo-1972 kwathi ngo-1973 wajoyina iqembu leZulu Royals FC elalingaphansi kukaFrancis Dlamini.
Ngalowo nyaka kwaba nemidlalo eyisipesheli yomqhudelwano wamaqembu kasosesheni waKwaMashu okwakudlala kuwona amaqembu amane akhona KwaMashu: iLeeds FC, iZulu Royals, i-African Wanderers neZulu Royals United.
Nokho lowo mqhudelwano uSkiri uthi wabhuntsha sekumele kudlalwe owamanqamu phakathi kweZulu Royals neZulu Royals United.
Sekuphethe uNatal Manana, uSkiri wajoyina iZulu Royals United lapho afica kugijima khona izinkakha oCedric “Sugar Ray” Xulu, uBonginkosi “Ace” Mnikathi, uFrederick Mfeka unozinti, u-Eric “Nduna kaNdaba” Ngidi, nabanye.
UYATHUNJWA NGABALANDELI
Umdlalo wokuqala owadlalwa wuSkiri emuva kokujoyina iZulu Royals United yilowo owabe uphakathi nesizini aseyilibele ukuthi ngeyamuphi unyaka, lapho uSuthu lwaluzobhekana neKaizer Chiefs KwaMashu.
Umlando webhola kuleli uke waba nezahluko okungelula namuhla ukuba uzikholwe ukuthi bezenzeka, njengokungabi khona kwezinkontileka ezibophezelayo phakathi kwabadlali namakilabhu abawadlalelayo.
Yingakho bekulula ukuyolala namuhla ikilabhu inomdlali othile kuyaba ngakusasa usevumbuka kwenye.
Uyafakaza ngesehlakalo sokuthunjwa kwakhe ILANGA elike labika ngaso endabeni elisanda kuyishicilela ngempilo kaNduna kaNdaba. Uthi babesemzini weSilo eMbelebeleni lapho iqembu lalivamise ukuyogqokela khona nxa lizoba nomdlalo.
Lapha oSuthwini wayeboshelwe ophondweni lwesobunxele. Kuthe belapho evulandi begqoka kwaqhamuka isigejana samadoda ephethe izinduku, saqonda ngqo lapho babekhona.
Ukhumbula ukuthi uSugar Ray wabaleka wasithela ngaphakathi efake isikhindi sangaphansi kuphela. Nebala bafika lapho abafo abangasho lutho kodwa balitheza phezulu kuNduna kaNdaba esathi uyabuza ukuthi kwenzenjani.
Babemgxavula kanjalo bahamba naye bayongena ehostela labesilisa khona KwaMashu bafike bamvalela khona.
Uthi baze bamdedela ngo-15h10 ngoba becabanga ukuthi uyobe eseshiywe yisikhathi kanti ngalelo langa iChiefs yafika sekudlule isikhathi enkundleni.
Wasuka lapho uSkiri waphikelela esiteshini samaphoyisa KwaMashu. Wathathwa ngomunye wamphuthumisa enkundleni lapho afica abanye abadlali besalindile egunjini lokugqokela.
Lowo mdlalo wawuqala ehlezi ebhentshini eyilizevu. Kuthe nxa abalandeli bememeza ukuba afakwe, nebala kwenzeka lokho. Igoli elashaywa nguZeph “Staff Rider” Nxumalo uthi lalize nomnyakazo owawusuka kuyena uSkiri.
UYA EGOLI
Akadlalanga isikhathi eside kwiZulu Royals United ngoba abalandeli beZulu Royals eholwa nguFrancis Dlamini babuye bamlanda.
Lapha uthi babelihlikihla nomfowabo uJoshua Fano “Rhoo” Gumede, uLeonard “Wagga Wagga” Likoebe, noJackie Mokodutla umsakazi wezemidlalo uBafana Zwane ayemteketisa ngokuthi “umuntu akalahlwa”.
Laba bobathathu babephuma kwiHighlanders FC yaseHammarsdale.
Nakho-ke sekuthi ngelinye ilanga uSkiri wahehwa ngumlandeli weChiefs ukuba ayodlala kuyona ngoba nakhu iZulu Royals yayisezinkingeni zoqhekeko.
Kwahlelwa ukuba kuhlanganwe eYMCA lapho yena uSkiri, uLikoebe noMokodutla babezothathwa ngemoto kungaziwa, kanti kukhona owezwa ngalolo hlelo qede wabikela izikhulu.
Kuthe besalinde imoto leyo batheleka abalandeli beZulu Royals bamthatha babuyela naye ekilabhini babayeka uJackie noLeonard bethi vele bona ngabakhona eGoli, kulungile noma bangahamba.
Emuva kwesikhashana esele uSkiri, kweza kuyena usihlalo wabalandeli be-Orlando Pirates KwaMashu owathumela ukuba uSkiri ayojoyina iPirates.
Wakuzwa lokhu kamuva ngoMokodutla ukuthi kanti nguyena owathinta usihlalo wabalandeli uMoloi ukuba ahlele ukuya kukaSkiri kwiPirates.
UBUHLOBO NOJOMO SONO
USkiri uthi kwakunguLwesithathu efika kwiBucs kuzoba nomdlalo wokungcweka neChiefs okwakungowokuvulwa kwenkundla entsha yaseMmabatho.
Wafika wanikwa impahla yokudlala bayozivivinya nozakwabo eqenjini. Umqeqeshi kwabe kunguMario Tuani. Umqeqeshi wameluleka ngokuthi makadlale ngendlela abedlala ngayo eseseThekwini.
Uthi akazange achithe isikhathi, wenza lokho aziwa ngakho, walikhipha phansi kwemilenze esitobheni sePirates uPhil “Mr Jones” Setshedi owayewukaputeni kanti kakuzukwehla kahle kuyena lokho, wagcina esemdlalisa kabi ngokumhlaba bejima.
Waze walulekwa nguJomo Sono ukuba angaligcini kuyena ibhola isikhathi eside ngoba bamdlalisa kabi.
Hhawu, baqala kanjalo-ke ubuhlobo obuhle phakathi kwabo kusukela lapho. Nokuyoziqeqesha uthi babehamba naye amfundise yonke imilingo ngebhola.
Okunye athi wamfundisa khona wukukhahlela iphenathi ngendlela ezodida unozinti agxumele ohlangothini oluthile kanti ibhola lizoya kolunye, kanjalo nezinye izindlela zokujika.
UBENALO IKHONO
Kulowo mdlalo igoli lashaywa nguJomo eqedela umnyakazo owawuze naye uSkiri. Umdlalo owalandela lowo kwakungowomkhumulajezi iChamp of Champs ngo-1975 bebhekene neStonebreakers yasePretoria.
Umlenze wokuqala yanqoba iPirates ngo-3-0 ekuhambeni kodwa kakukho goli elashaywa nguyena ngaphandle kweqhaza kuleyo minyakazo yokwakha amagoli.
Umlenze wesibili wadlalelwa e-Orlando Stadium okuyilapho ashaya igoli elihle, waphuma ethwelwe ngabalandeli ekupheleni komdlalo.
Ngo-1976 uRobert Buthelezi owayengumlandeli weZulu Royals wafika eGoli emfuna lapho ayehlala khona kwaNo 5997 Orlando East. Wamthatha phakathi kwamabili wabuyela naye eThekwini lapho wafika wadlalela yona iZulu Royals kaFrancis Dlamini.
Lokhu kusiveza ngokucacile isithombe sokuthi izinto zabe zingahlelekile kangakanani zingakabi bikho izinkontileka phakathi kwabadlali namaqembu abo.
Ukubangwa kukaSkiri ngamaqembu kufakazela khona ukuthi belingangatshazwa ikhono lakhe kulo mdlalo.
WAYENGAGXILILE KUNOBHUTSHUZWAYO
Ngo-1977 wajoyina iBush Bucks eyayiqeqeshwa nguHenry “Black Cat” Cele njengoba wayeyishiye kuqala iZulu Royals. Uthi babezwana kakhulu naye ngoba yena uSkiri wabuye wafunda neJudo eDojo yaseWestville.
Lapha wafica kunezinsephe ezinjengoMlungisi “Professor” Ngubane, uSipho Zimba, uMajuba Magwaza, nabanye. Umphathi weBush Bucks ngaleso sikhathi kwabe kunguMbili.
Nakuba uSkiri ebeliphiwe ikhono lokudlala unobhutshuzwayo, nokho uhambo lwakhe kulo mdlalo kalubanga lude ngenxa yokuba umqondo wakhe wawulandela izinhlobo zikaqedisizungu eziningana.
Umdanso wonyawo lwempungushe nawo wayewufunda nomfowabo uRhoo phansi kukaBhekisisa Mhlongo esikoleni sawo esiseKlaarwater.
Eqenjini iBush Bucks kulapho ayeka khona ukudlala ibhola ngoba ekholwa wukuthi akufanele ahlale kuze kudlule isikhathi bese ehetshezwa yizihlwele zithi makakhishwe enkundleni indawo yakhe ithathwe ngomunye umdlali.
UYASEBENZA
Usebenzile ezimbonini ezahlukene futhi yena nabanye abadlali njengoKwipi Mpungose, noThemba Ndlovu owayengunozinti weZulu Royals babevamise ukuhlangana basebenze ndawonye.
Futhi ngaleyo minyaka bona njengosaziwayo babengakujulukeli ukufuna umsebenzi ngoba babewuthola kalula.
Uze wagcina esethenge itekisi ngo-1980 eyayisebenza emzileni phakathi kweTheku naKwaSanti. Leyo moto yaze yazala amanye agcina esemathathu. Emuva kweminyaka ewu-5 uSkiri wayeka kule mboni ngenxa yokuba nomsindo kanti yena akasiyena umuntu othanda ukukhuluma kakhulu.
UMBONO WAKHE NGONOBHUTSHUZWAYO
USkiri uthi akasawulandeli unobhutshuzwayo odlalwa kule mihla ngoba kawusenayo iwozawoza owabe unalo kuqala.
Naye ufakazela abanye abadlali bakudala ukuthi ngesikhathi sabo babedlala ngothando kanti kule mihla sekuyimali phambili.
Abalandeli bebebapha imali ngenxa yokuchazeka wumdlalo wabo enkundleni.
Ebuzwa ukuthi kubantwana bakhe ukhona yini ofuze yena, uthe indodana yakhe ayithole ngaphandle komshado uNkanyiso ubengaba nekusasa kulo mdlalo kodwa umbona engumuntu ongenaso isineke kanti ikhono likhona lokudlala esiswini ngempumelelo.