BULAWAYO - Owayengumdlali weqembu leHighlanders kuminyaka yabo 1960, uBilly Sibanda, uthi leliqembu belivele liyithimu yezwelonke ngitsho lakudala.
USibanda uthi iqembu leHighlanders kaliqalanga eminyakeni edluleyo ukwaziwa njenge thimu yezwelonke kodwa livele lilembali eyokungakhethi umhlobo.
"Belivele iqembu leli lisemukela abantu abadabuka endaweni ezehlukeneyo njalo abayimihlobo etshiyeneyo. Yikho lisaziwa njenge thimu yezwe lonke. Yikho phela ngensuku zethu sasilabadlali abanjengabo Itai (Chieza) ababevela eHarare. Kuqembu leHighlanders wonke umdlali ubekhululekile,” kutsho uSibanda.
USibanda uqale ukudlalela iqembu leHighlanders ngomnyaka ka1965 ngemva kokuba leliqembu lilahlekelwe ngabadlali abasuka bayabumba elinye iqembu.
“Ngaqala ngesikhathi esinzima ngoba iqembu lalilahlekelwe ngabadlali abatshiya bayabumba iqembu leCobras. Iqembu lalisenkingeni lidinga abadlali yikho thina sadingwa ukuthi sizolidlalela singabafana sivela esikolo,” kutsho uSibanda.
USibanda udlale ngesikhathi iqembu leHighlanders selimenywe ukuba libe yingxenye yeligi okwakuncintisa amaqembu aphuma elizweni jikelele njalo uthi kwakungekho lula.
“Bekunzima ukuba sibumbe iqembu eliqinileyo ngalesosikhathi kodwa besizimisele ukuphakamisa iqembu lethu obekusebenza sidlale ngokuzimisela okukhulu,” kuphawula uSibanda.
Owadlalela iqembu leHighlanders waphinda njalo waba ngumqeqetshi walo, uCosmas Zulu, laye ugcizelele ukuba iqembu leHighlanders belivele liyamukela yonke imihlobo ngitsho lasibi sabelungu.
“Abadlali abamhlophe baqale kudala ukudlalela iqembu leHighlanders, imbali iyakuveza ukuba abaqalanga khathesi. Bekukhona aboBoet Van As, oCavin Duberly kanye loMark Watson. UMark Watson besingabagadli sonke,” kugcizelela uZulu.
Iqembu leHighlanders limenywe zinkokheli zesigaba seRhodesia National Football League, ngomnyaka ka1966 njalo ngemva kwalokho belidlala kusigaba seBulawayo Amateur Football Association. USibanda uke waba ngumqondisi weqembu leHighlanders ngesikhathi esethethe umhlala phansi.