PHEZU KWAWO UMSEBENZI U-AKBAY: iBosso idibana labomakhelwane eWhite City

Nkosilathi Sibanda
UMQEQETSHI omutsha weHighlanders uErol Akbay uzaqala umsebenzi kulimpelaviki lapho iqembu lakhe elizadibana leHow Mine, iTsholotsho leBulawayo City enkundleni yeWhite City.

UAkbay ufike koBulawayo ngoLwesibili emini, waqala ukulolonga abadlali ngehola lesine ntambama. Ukufika kwalumqeqetshi kutsho ukuthi iHighlanders izakuba leqiniso lokuthi yibaphi abadlali abazayigijimela kulisizini.

UAkbay ufika koNtuthu ngesikhathi kuqoqwe imidlalo edibanisa amathimu akulelidolobho iHighlanders, iHow Mine, iTsholotsho leBulawayo City. Imidlalo le iqala amalungiselelo okunanza umkhosi welanga lokusungulwa kweqembu leHighlanders, lona elaqala ukutshibilika enkundleni ngo1926. IHighlanders isileminyaka engamatshumi ayisitshiyagalo lunye.

Umaqhuzu weBosso uNdumiso Gumede utshele uMthunywa ukuba bacabange ukuqoqa imidlalo ehlanganisa amathimu akoBulawayo ngoba kufanele ukuthi bathakazelele iminyaka engu-90 yeBosso belamathimu angomakhelwane.

“Akula amanye amathimu esingadlala lawo ngaphandle kwabomakhelwane bethu koBulawayo. Kuzadibana iHighlanders, iHow Mine, iTsholotsho labafana abatsha iBulawayo City. Njengoba kusaziwa ukuthi iHighlanders isileminyaka engu-90, imidlalo le izavula indlela yokuthakazelela iminyaka yonke le sikunguqu. Ngaphandle kwalokhu, amathimu la azathola ukugijima phambili kwabalandeli babo.

“Aluba iChicken Inn ayila eminye imidlalo, ngabe layo iphakathi. Kodwa asifuni ukuthi iphanjaniswe kumalungiselelo ayo emidlalo yeCaf Champions League.”

UGumede uqhubeke wathi abathandi bebhola likanobhutshuzwayo koBulawayo bazabhadala i$2 yokubukela.

Abantwana abangaphansi kweminyaka engu-12 yokuzalwa bazabhadala i$1 kuphela.

Ubike ukuba amathimu azadlala kusigaba sama-final azaphiwa isilinganiso se-60% kumali ezakhitshwa ngababukeli.

Umgcinisihlalo weHow Mine uPaul MacAndrew uvumile ukuthi imidlalo le izaphathisa kakhulu ukubona ukuthi ithimu yabo iqine njani.

“Sinxusiwe kumidlalo le njalo sizaphatheka kuyo. Okuhle ngalokhu yikuthi lathi njengeHow Mine sizabona ukuthi sikuliphi ibanga lokuqina. Loba umqeqetshi wethu esanda kuqala umsebenzi, laye uzathola ithuba lokubona ukuthi amanye amathimu esakhelane lawo adlala njani lonyaka,” kutsho uMacAndrew.

UJerry Sibanda, umgcinisihlalo weBulawayo City uthe: “Sikhona kulumkhosi wemidlalo yamathimu akoBulawayo.

Silungiselele saphelela, njengoba usazi ukuthi iBulawayo City yaba yithimu yokuqala ukulungiselela isizini.”