BULAWAYO - UKainot Luphahla, owadlalela iqembu leHighlanders, uthi ukulandela isiko kudlale indima enkulu ekuphumeleleni kweqembu leHighlanders.
ULuphahla ngomunye wabadlali abaqala ukudlalela iqembu elabasakhulayo kuqembu leHighlanders ngomnyaka ka1966 ndawonye labadlali ababalisa owake waba yimeneja yeqembu uLawrence Phiri. Uqale ukudlala kuqembu elikhulu eleHighlanders ngo1971.
”Ukungena kuqembu elikhulu ngaqala ngo1971 kusaqeqetsha uSilas (Ndlovu). Wayengifaka sibili uJosiah (Nxumalo) ehlala ebhentshini, ngesikhathi engakabulali kakhulu uJosiah. Ngangingumntwana ngaleso sikhathi njalo yikho wayengikhupha ngehlanda lesibili angene uJosiah.
“Kudala kwakusiba labadlali ababili kuphela ebhentshini kwakungafani lakhathesi okulabadlali abedlula abahlanu. Kuze kwathi iqembu selidinge oTymon Mabaleka, Tommy Masuku, oCavin Duberly, thina saya kuqembu lesibili.”
ULuphahla uthi loba esengasadlali uqhubekele phambili encedisa iqembu ukuba liqhube inhlelo zalo lilandela usiko njengalokhu okwakusenziwa kudala.
“Ubaba nguye owayeyiphethe, umdala, ivele igqokela ngekhaya. Yayintshintsha ike igqokele lakoTafi iphinde futhi izogqokela ngekhaya. Ubaba wayekela ibhola ngo1974 kodwa ngo73 ithatha iChibuku nguye owayithathayo uLuphahla. Nguye owayeyiphethe ehlala eMzilikazi. Yikho lathi esafunda khona ukuthi nxa iHighlanders idlala kumele kwenziweni.”
ULuphahla uthi kuyamdanisa ukuba iqembu leMatabeleland High City, okwakuliqembu leHighlanders elidlala kusigaba seBulawayo Amateur Football League layekelwa lisifa, ngoba lingekho ngabe iqembu leBosso latshabalala ngesikhathi abadlali abanye betshiya besiyabumba iqembu leOlympics.
“Yithi esancedayo sibili sisuka kuHigh City ngoba sasuka sonke sayadlala kuSouth Zone safika sayibamba yaze yabuyela ithimu yalunga. Yikho uyake uzwe kuthiwa iHigh City vele yiHighlanders ngoba iHighlanders ivele yayidlala kuBAFA.
“Ithe isuka kuBAFA uSidile wathi yena abantu bengaphumi bonke, abanye besale ukuze ngale kungabanzima siphenduke, kanti ukhuluma iqiniso. Thina laboLawrence sasala kwahamba oDzowa ababebadala bayadlala ngale.”
ULuphahla uthi kulezinsuku akasawuqhubi umsebenzi wokuphathisa iqembu leBosso ngokwenza imikhuba eqhutshwa phambilini komdlalo ngoba inkokheli zakulezinsuku sezilabanye ezisebenza labo kodwa uyaphathisa lapho engadingwa ukuthi ancede nxa kukhona okuhluphayo.
Ulokhu ekhona ebholeni njengoba engomunye wabasebenza endaweni yeFIFA Football For Hope eselokitshini leGwabalanda.