Uchayise iPirates imfuna uMaluleke
USAZIBONA egijima kwelinye lamaqembu amakhulu kwi-Absa Premiership ukaputeni wePolokwane City, uJabu Maluleke, obhoboke ngokuchayisa kwakhe i-Orlando Pirates ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini ka-2018/2019.
UMaluleke (36) oyisethenjwa kwiRise And Shine, ukhale wemuka nomklomelo womdlali ovelele wenyanga uSepthemba, i-Absa Premiership Player of The Month. Umqeqeshi wePolokwane uJozef Vukusic uwine umklomelo we-Absa Premiership Coach of The Month. UMaluleke uhlule uVincent Pule wePirates, Thabang Monare noSimon Murrey beBidvest Wits.
Lo mdlali, ozakhele igama eMzansi ngokushaya phakathi ama-free kick, uveze ukuthi wenqabile ukujoyina iPirates imncenga ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini. EZimnyama bezifuna abadlali abanamava abadlala esiswini. Zigcine zikhalela kuLinda “Figo” Mntambo, Ben Motshwatri no-Abel Mabaso.
“Njalo uma kuqala isizini kuba khona amaqembu angithintayo. Kodwa-ke ngiyawatshela ukuthi ngisajabule kwiPolokwane futhi bangiphethe kahle. URulani (Mokwena) ukhulume nami isikhathi eside efuna ngijoyine iPirates kodwa ngamtshela ukuthi okwamanje ngisajabule lapha. Angikuchithi ukuthi ngisengalijoyona iqembu elikhulu ngoba ebholeni alaziwa ikusasa. URulani ugcine engiyekile ngoba ebona ukuthi angigudluki kwengikushoyo. Ugcine esiqondile isimo sami wathi angiqhubeke uma ngiphatheke kahle kwiPolokwane.”
Emuva kweminyaka eyibamba kwi-Absa Premiership, uMaluleke, ungomunye wabadlali abanekhono elithakaselwa ngabaningi kodwa akakaze adlale nakwelilodwa iqembu elikhulu. Uqale kwiDynamos ngo-2002 eqeqeshwa nguJacob Sakala noSteve Khomphela. Ugqame eseyibamba kwiBlack Leopards nokuyilapho ethathwe khona yiSuperSport United. UMaluleke ujoyine iPolokwane ngo2014. “Kubuhlungu ukubona abantu engiqale nabo ibhola sekubabhedela. Ngiyahlangana nabo emgwaqeni, ngikhulume nabo. Impilo inzima kubona. Kimina kubuhlungu kakhulu kodwa ayikho into engingayeza. Ngiyafisa ukusiza lapho engingasiza khona. Ngibonga uMdali ngokungibeka lapho engikhona nabazali ngokungeseka ukuze ngifinyelele lapho engikhona ngoba kungenxa yabo.”
Mayelana nomklomelo, uMaluleke uthe: “Lokhu kuyinto enkulu. Kukhombisa ukuthi abantu bayangilandela futhi bayakubona engikwenzayo. Ngiyabonga kubantu abangivotelile.”
IPolokwane iphuma esibhaxwini sika 2-1 esithole kwiPirates ngoLwesibili ebusuku. NgeSonto izovakashela AmaZulu emdlalweni wePremiership eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza. “Siphatheke kabi ngokuhlulwa yiPirates kodwa ngeke sigxile kosekwedlule ngoba lokhu kuyingxenye yomdlalo webhola. Kufanele sigxilise imiqondo yethu kuMaZulu.”