Ubumnandi shukela: Unyenye kanjalo uMakhathini eshiya induku ebandla
Wayewuhlobo lwabadlali abangamanono enkundleni njengoba wayengakaze alithole ikhadi eliphuzi
Izigigaba ezingezinhle zilokhu ziqhubekile nokugadla kulo nyaka wezi-2020 njengoba ekuqaleni kwesonto kusabalale izindaba zokuthi uMnu uThulani Cedric “Sugar Ray” Xulu akasekho emhlabeni.
UXulu obeneminyaka yobudala engama-81 uphefumule okokugcina esibhedlela eMarianhill, ePinetown, entshonalanga yeTheku.
Le ngwazi kanobhutshuzwayo kuthiwa idlule emhlabeni ngenxa yesifo somdlavuza ebisilwe naso iminyaka eminingi.
Igama elithi “Sugar Ray” lathathwa kusomankomane wase-USA uSugar Ray Charles Leonard. Njengoba ekhule eminyakeni enzima bekumele uma uyinsizwa yakwenu ukwazi ukuzivikela, kusho ukuthi naye uXulu wayemuhle kwezamankomane.
Wazakhela udumo ngeminyaka yowe-1960 eqenjini elalaziwa ngokuthi i-Avalon Athletics FC elalidlala ngaphansi kweSouth African Soccer League (SASL) esiyaziwa nge-Absa Premiership namhlanje. Wabe esedlalela iZulu Royals United FC eyagcina isibizwa ngaAmaZulu FC kuze kube yimanje.
IZulu Royals United FC (AmaZulu) yayibophele izinkunzi zabadlali okubalwa unozinti wayo wokuqina uFrederick “The Cat” Mfeka, uWellington “Chippa” Khoza, u-Eric “Nduna kaNdaba” Ngidi, uVusi Silangwe nabanye abaningi.
Wayewuhlobo lwabadlali abangamanono enkundleni njengoba wayengakaze alithole ikhadi eliphuzi ingasaphathwa eyelibomvu.
UThanduyise “Gonondo” Khuboni owayedlalela iLamontville Golden Arrows wenza esifanayo kodwa isizini eyodwa kuphela ukuthi angatholi nelilodwa ikhadi kodwa eyidlale yonke imidlalo.
UXulu waklama indima enkulu ngonyaka we-1972 esiza iZulu Royals inqoba iNational Professional Soccer League (NPSL) ingakaze ihlulwe nowodwa umdlalo. Leli yirekhodi elingaze lephuwe muntu eNingiziu Afrika. Eminyakeni elandelayo wangowe-1973 nowangowe-1974 wasiza iqembu lakhe lafinyelela kowamanqamu kabili emqhudelwaneni owawubizwa ngeLife Challenge Cup manje esibizwa ngeNedbank Cup.
Amanye amaqembu awadlalela iClermont Home Defenders, i-Avalon Athletics neqembu elikhulu eSwaziland iMbabane Swallows. Ngesizini edlule iPremier Soccer League (PSL) ihloniphe amagalelo akhe ngezi-R250 000 kanye noSiyabonga “Bhele” Nomvethe.
Waphinde wahlonishwa ngokuthi kuqanjwe ngaye inkundla yezemidlalo iSugar Ray Xulu Stadium eseClermont. Le nkundla emumatha abalandeli abayizi-6 500 isetshenziswa iLamontville
Golden Arrows edlala kuPSL, iReal Kings noThongathi FC okungamaqembu agijima kuGladAfrica Championship.
Ngowe-1982 okuwunyaka abeka ngawo amakhokho ethala, wayeneminyaka yobudala engama-44.
Kunencwadi kaSugar Ray eyabhalwa uSibusiso Desmond Khumalo, isihloko sayo esithi “Ngibuka Ngeso Lesihlabani” ngowezi-2017 yethulwa ngokusemthethweni ngowezi-2018 eKing Zwelithini Stadium. Ngosuku lokwethulwa kwayo kwaba nomdlalo wobungani phakathi kwa-AmaZulu FC neLamontville Golden Arrows.
Ukaputeni woSuthu uSiyabonga “Nqaba” Mbatha udlulise amazwi enduduzo emndenini kaGxabhashe (abakwaXulu).
“Sithanda ukwedlulisa amazwi enduduzo emndenini kaBaba uXulu, abekho bodwa nathi siwumndeni woSuthu sikanye nabo. Sicela ukuba baqine kulesi sikhathi esinzima kanje.” kusho uMbatha.
IBAYEDE ikhulume noJoel Faya owadlala noXulu kuZulu Royals omchaze njengomuntu obenomoya ophansi.
“USugar Ray ubengumuntu ozothile futhi enomoya ophansi. Kwakuthi uma ekuphasele ibhola lathathwa yisitha kuwena avele ame isikhashana ekubuka bese eyaqhubeka adlale, ngicabanga ukuthi iyona ndlela ayethetha ngayo. Kwangijabulisa kakhulu ukuthi ikhona into enkulu ahlonishwa ngayo okuyinkundla iSugar Ray Xulu,” kubeka uFaya.
UClive Barker ongomunye wabaqeqeshi abahamba phambili kuleli kwazise wanqobisa iBafana Bafana i-African Cup of Nations (AFCON) ngowe-1996 futhi owaqeqesha uXulu, uthe le ngwazi yayiluhlobo olwehlukile lomdlali.
“USugar Ray akabanga umdlali nje kumina kodwa waba umngani njengoba angifundisa okwenzeka emalokishini ngeminyaka yowe-1970. Wayenza umdlalo onzima uvele ubelula kakhulu. Ubengekho esigabeni sikaDoctor Khumalo kodwa ngingasho ngithi ukubadlali abahlanu abasezingeni eliphezulu esengike ngabaqeqesha. Bengazi ukuthi ubegula isikhathi eside, umoya wami ubuhlungu ukuthi usegcine esishiyile emhlabeni. Ilahlekelwe kakhulu iNingizimu Afrika,” kusho uBarker.
Yize bekulindeleke izindimbane zabantu uma eseyobekwa endaweni yakhe yokugcina uGxabhashe, kodwa ngenxa yegciwane uKhuvethe (Covid-19) ngeke kube njalo. Umndeni uzolandela umyalelo kaHulumeni wokuthi oshonile afihlwe umndeni nabasondelene naye.