Umdlali weshumi nambili weMaritzburg United
NGOLWESIHLANU ntambama kuyinto eyaziwayo ukuthi iningi labantu lisuke lizihambela izindawo zokucima ukoma, abanye basuke beziphumulele kwazise phela basuke besebenze isonto lonke kusukela ngoMsombuluko.
Umuntu ongumlandeli kanobhutshuzwayo lokho angakuphikisa uma ejwayele ukubuka imidlalo yeMaritzburg United esuke iyidlala enkundleni yayo iHarry Gwala Stadium. Okuyisizathu salokho ukuthi le nkundla njalo igcwala phama.
Eminyakeni edlule iqembu ebeligcwalisa inkundla uma lidlala ekhaya yiBloemfontein Celtic, Bekuthi noma iyadliwa kodwa ibiqhubeka isho phezulu ngengoma iholwa uBotha Msila ongumlandeli wayo wokuqina.
Lokho manje sekwenziwa iTeam of Choice (iMaritzburg United), uma idlala inkundla ivele ibe luhlaza abalandeli begqoke imifaniswano yayo bephume ngobuningi babo. Ngeledlule kade idlala nomkhaya bayo Amazulu FC, bekuyiso leso bekukhona ngisho nezingane zesikole ebezigqoke izinto ezisakhakhi ezinye zigqoke amashethi amhlophe namabhulukwe amnyama zisoseka lona leli qembu.
UMsunduzi News libe nengxoxo ekhethekile nalowo ohola abalandeli beTeam of Choice uSibonelo Prince Shabalala, odalule okuyikho okwenza behlezi begcwalise inkundla.
“Ukhiye engicabanga ukuthi iwona owenza sigcwalise iHarry Gwala Stadium, kungoba ngaphambi komdlalo siyakwazi ukumaketha umdlalo osuke uzoba khona kusukela ngoMsombuluko. Sihambela inxanxathela yezitolo, isedolobheni, isezindaweni zasemalokishini, lapho sisuke sinxusa abalandeli ukuba baphume ngobuningi babo bezoseka iqembu. Okunye njengoba sinamagatsha ali-12 abalandeli, siba nomhlangano wokuthi sigqugquzele wonke umlandeli abe senkundleni, igatsha negatsha cishe linabalandeli abangaphezulu kwabangama-60,” kusho uShabalala.
Ukugcwala kwabalandeli kunomthelela omuhle eqenjini ekutheni lenze kahle, okuwubufakazi balokho ukuthi iTeam of Choice yagcina ukuhlulwa eHarry Gwala Stadium uma kungoLwesihlanu ngonyaka wezi-2017. Kule sizini ihlulwe iBlack Leopards ngegoli elilodwa eqandeni ngoNcwaba lowo mdlalo wawungoLwesithathu.
Phesheya kwezilwandle noma kuthiwa iqembu lincane kanjani kodwa uma lidlala ekhaya konke lokho kuyaphela, lokho kwenziwa wukuthi abalandeli balo basuke bephume bonke bezoliseka.
Eqhuba uShabalala uthe: “Namanje umoya wami usebuhlungu ukuthi sahluleka ukunqoba indebe yeTelkom Knockout lapho sasibhekene khona neMamelodi Sundowns eMoses Mabhida Stadium. Ukube lo mdlalo waya eHarry Gwala Stadium nginesiqiniseko sokuthi ngabe indebe yasala lapha eMgungundlovu. IMaritzburg United sizoyiseka noma kunjani, ingakho sifuna iqede ibalwa namaqembu ayisi-8 aphezulu uma kusongwa isizini”.
Leli qembu eliqeqeshwa ngu-Eric Tinkler bekungekhona okokuqala lihlulwa kowamanqamu, kwenzekile ngesizini edlule kuNedbank Cup. Kulowo mdlalo yahlulwa ngegoli elilodwa eqandeni yiFree State Stars. Ngesizini edlule icishe yadliwa izembe njengoba yakwazi ukuthi ibuye isidlala amaplay-off.
Leli phephandaba liphinde lakhuluma nomlandeli wayo iTeam of Choice uBoy Kunene nothe bengabalandeli ngesizini edlule balibonile iphutha labo. “Ngesizini edlule cishe sadedela iqembu lethu laya kuGladAfrica Championship, ngokuthi singaliseki. Kuthe sekusele cishe imidlalo eyisi-8 kusongwe isizini saqala saphaphama lakwazi ukuthi lidlale amaplay-off lagcina linqoba labuya. Kule sizini sithe sizoliseka kuyona yonke imidlalo ikakhulukazi esekhaya. Esesifuna ukukwenza manje ukuthi noma kuthiwa iMaritzburg idlala kuphi siphume ngobuningi bethu,” kusho uKunene.
Njengoba isalelwe imidlalo eli-12 ngaphambi kokuthi kusongwe iligi, iTeam of Choice inemidlalo eyisi-6 ezoyidlala khona eHarry Gwala Stadium. Emidlalweni yayo yasekhaya izotholana neCape Town City, iStellenbosch, iPolokwane City, iMamelodi Sundowns, iBidvest Wits ne-Orlando Pirates.
UKunene esonga uthe: “Ukuba khona kweMaritzburg United ku-Absa Premiership, kusisiza kakhulu kwezomnotho njengoba sikwazi ukudayisa ikakhulukazi uma kuze amaqembu amakhulu”. Ngokwezibalo iHarry Gwala Stadium ikwazi ukumumatha abalandeli abayizinkulungwane ezili-12. Emdlalweni iMaritzburg United ibhekene neKaizer Chiefs wonke amathikithi adayiswa aphela.