Izolo ibiyimini exakekileyo kakhulu kwi-ofisi ye-Orlando Pirates. Usihlalo weli qela, uQqirha Irvin Khoza, wenze izibhengezo ezibini ezibalulekileyo: esinye sishiye abalandeli bebhola jikelele bothukile, kanti esinye asothusanga konke konke ngoba besilindelekile. UKhoza wothuse umzi ngethuba ebhengeza okokuba uKapteni weBucs, u-Oupa Manyisa, uya kwiMamelodi Sundowns ngoba akukho bani obeyazi lo nto. Enye yezinto ebangele bothuke abantu kukuba uManyisa ngomnye wabadlali abaphambili, abanefuthe futhi abanembali etyebileyo kwiiSea-Robbers. Ukuchongwa kukaMilutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic njengomqeqeshi kuvakele engekasuki kwase-Uganda.
UMicho, 47, ngumqeqeshi wesihlanu kwisithuba nje seminyaka emibini. Yena ungene endaweni kaKjell Jonevret ohleli iinyanga ezintlanu kuphela. UJonevret wathatha iintambo ku-Augusto Palacios – owangena njengebambela mqeqeshi emva kokulahla kukaMuhsin Ertugral ngesiquphe emva kokubethwa kwePirates ngo’6-1 yiSuperSport United kunyaka ophelileyo. Kanti yena u-Ertugral wangena endaweni eyashiywa ngu-Eric Tinkler. Emva kokuba iPirates ivale isizini ye-Absa Premier Soccer League ka’2016/17 ikwindawo yeshumi elinanye, ngoku ikwiphulo lokuguqula izinto ukuze ibuyele kwindawo yayo yesiqhelo.
Inyathelo lokuqala elithathwe nguKhoza kukufumana umqeqeshi aqondayo ukuba angeza nalo nguqu idingekayo. Oko ukwenze ngokuthi ayokuthatha uSredojevic obeqeqesha iqela lesizwe lase-Uganda. Akothusanga oko ngoba uMicho ukwazile ukuthatha i-Uganda wayisa kwi-2017 Africa Cup of Nations ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka futhi ukwangumntu oyaziyo iPirates. Lo mqeqeshi wafika kwiBucs ngo’2006 eneminyaka engamashumi amathathu anesibhozo (38). Ngenxa yoxinizelelo waye wahamba ngo’2007. UMicho uxelele iintatheli izolo okokuba wafumana umnxeba ovela kuKhoza emcela ukuba abuyele kwiPirates. Ngethuba ihamba kwiBucs le ndeba ithi yaxelelwa ngusihlalo wePirates okokuba unesivumelwano sanaphakade nayo. “Ngala mhla ndandimka, usihlalo wathi ndingowePirates naphakade. Wathi kum: Hamba uyofunxa ulwazi oluzakukhulisa kwezinye iindawo – kodwa eli likhaya lakho. Uligqala ke kwibhola ye-Afrika. Ndiyenzile lo nto ngokwenene; ndilapha ngoku.
USredojevic utyikitye iminyaka emithathu kwiPirates. Uzakubaphantsi koxinizelelo kakhulu kule sizini izayo ngenxa yokungaqhubi kakuhle kweBucs kwezi sizini zidlulileyo. Nangona kunjalo lo mqeqeshi usamkele ngodlamko olukhulu olu xanduva kwaye uthembisa ngokuza notshintsho kweZimnyama. Lo mqeqeshi ushiyele abalandeli bePirates umyalezo kuTwitter othi: “Ndizimisele ukuzibonakalisa kugqirha Khoza nakubalandeli bePirates. Ndizakumyeka uTwitter ukuze ndibeke ingqondo yam yonke emsebenzini wam,” utshilo uMicho izolo.
Endoda eyahlala iminyaka emithathu kwiPirates kule minyaka ilishumi idlulileyo inye jwi – nguRuud Krol, ophumelela iindebe ezintathu zendumasi kwisizini yakhe yokugqibela. UKhoza uxelele iintatheli okokuba bayazama ukuqinisekisa ukuba abaqeqeshi bayahla kwiPirates. “Sonke siyazama ukubagcina ixesha elide abaqeqeshi. Ndikhumbula ngexesha likaTinkler….Ndandingafuni ahambe, kumnandi kum ngoba uyivumile ebantwini lo nto. Izinto zazinzima kakhulu – kodwa sazama ukumbamba. Kuyaxhomekeka ukuba ulilungele kangakanani olu hambo ngoba ukuba ulufoko-foko uyawa,” utshilo uKhoza…
Njengokuba amanye amaqela elungiselela ukuqala imidlalo yeMTN 8 kwiveki ezayo, bona abadlali bePirates bazakubila besoma beluniselela umdlalo wabo wokuqala abadibana kuwo neChippa United ngomhla weshumi elinethoba.
Iphele njalo indlela yeSundowns kwiCAF Champions League!