BULAWAYO - Owayengunozinti weqembu leHighlanders, uSydney Zimunya, sewafulathela umdlalo wenguqu njalo usencintisa emdlalweni wokugijima.
UZimunya ungene emdlalweni wokugijima ngomnyaka ka2010 njalo uthi uyasuthiseka kakhulu ngesinqumo esokudinga umdlalo omutsha ngemva kokuthatha umhlala phansi emdlalweni wenguqu.
“Ngathi ngiqala ukungena emdlalweni wokugijima ngakunanzelela ukuba lapha angihlukumezeki emoyeni wami. Ngiqale ukugijima ngomnyaka ka2010 njalo ngakholisa kakhulu. Ngakunanzelela ukuba akulamuntu ongithethisayo loba ngingaze ngiphutshe umncintiswano kuyimi owokucina njalo kukhona engiyabe ngikutholile ngoba umzimba wami uyabe uphathisekile. Ngikuthethe kancane kancane ngizikholisela njalo lakhathesi ngiyakholisa.”
UZimunya udlale kuqembu leHighlanders ngeminyaka yama 1980s njalo udlale ndawonye labadlali ababelodumo ababalisa umuyi uMercedes Rambo Sibanda kanye loWillard Mashinkila Khumalo, laye osewadlula emhlabeni.
“Ngithe ngifunda eLobengula Primary School bengindawonye loRambo kanye loDumisani Nyoni, uSavimbi. UWillard sasihlangana laye eMzilikazi Youth Club kuthi nxa sesisiya kuAli Baba siyehlangana laboMpumelelo Dzowa evela eLozikeyi. Sasivele sisazana ngoba sincintisana ezikolo kuthi ntambama siyehlangana kuAli Baba sesiyiHighlanders.
“Mina kodwa ukuqala ukudlala ngaqala kuqembu leZimbabwe Saints eleUnder 14 kuthe sekube lokungakhulumisani kuhle ngasengibizwa nguMpumelelo Dzowa owathi badinga unozinti kuqembu leHighlanders eleUnder 16 njalo uAli Baba wangemukela kuhle ngoba wayevele engazi engibone ngidlala esikolo.”
Ngaphandle kokugijima uZimunya ufuya imvundla njalo uyalima. Uthi uyathola imivuzo kanye lemali emdlalweni wokugijima kodwa kwesinye isikhathi kusuka kube nzima ukuba ayencintisa kumijaho eqhutshelwa kwamanye amadolobho ngoba engela abamphathisa ngosekelo lwemali, ama-sponsors.
“Ngaqala ngisazikholisela nje kodwa ngasengikunanzelela ukuba kukhona ukudla lapha njalo ngingaphuma lami ngithwele okuthile. Mina ngincintisa kusigaba seMasters njalo ngendlela engizilolonga ngayo sengabona ukuba lami ngingenelisa ukuphatheka abantwabami isinkwa.”
UZimunya nguye owayengukaputeni weqembu labasakhulayo eleHighlanders elabadlali abeliminyaka engaphansi kwelitshumi lathoba munwe munye elinqobe kumncintiswano weAberdeen City International Football Festival ngomnyaka ka1987.
Ngeminyaka esadlala ubencintisana loPeter Nkomo kanye loSmart Moyo ukuba ngunozinti weqembu leHighlanders.