Obecinga ukuba uZolani Tete akasenawo amandla awayenawo kwiminyaka edlulileyo, makachithe utyiwe. Kwimpelaveki egqithileyo uTete, 34, ubonise ihlabathi lonke ukuba inqindi lakhe linamandla futhi liyawenza umsebenzi. Ukubonise oku ngokubetha uJason Cunningham emlweni obubanjelwe eWembley Arena kwisixeko saseLondon, eNgilane. UCunningham uzibhaqe elele phantsi engondlalelwanga emva kokugqolodiswa ngamanqindi nguTete kumjikelo wesine. Impumelelo ayizuzileyo uTete ibuyise ubunganga bakhe emva kokungadlali iminyaka emibini ngenxa yeKhorona nokukubethwa nguJohn Riel Casimero ngonyaka ka-2019. Emva kokuxwayiswa ibhanti, imbethimanqindi yaseMdantsane ithe mayinikwe uMurodjon Akhmadaliev oyintshatsheli yeWBA/IBF super bantamweit.
Akukacaci ke nokuba umthelekisi kaTete uya kuzama na ukumdibanisa noMurodjon ongekabethwa emilweni elishumi elinanye. Into ayibeke yacaca uZolani Tete phambi kokuntingela eNgilane kutshanje kukuba yena ufuna ukuba yintshatsheli ityeli lesithathu, into engazange yenzeka apha eMzantsi Afrika ngaphambili. “Umlo wentshinga yehlabathi undifanele. Yeyona nto endiyingxameleyo ke leyo kakhulu,” utshilo uTete emva kokubetha uCunningham okhe wacinyelwa zizibane. “Ndiqinisekile abaphathi bam nomthelekisi wam, uFrank Warren, ukuba ikhona into abaza kuyizama. Siza kuhlala phantsi kodwa sijonge indlela eya phambili.
“Kubalulekile ukuya emlweni ngamnye sinesicwangciso esicacileyo. Andazi ukuba bacinga ntoni abaphathi bam okwangoku. Into endiqinisekileyo ngayo kukuba umlo ngamnye kufuneka ndiwuphumelele ngoku. Ndiqisekile futhi ukuba ndingambetha (uMurodjon Akhmadaliev) ukuba ndinganikwa ithuba lokulwa naye,” utshilo uTete. “Ndiqinisekile iimbethimanqindi ezininzi zithi ubuyile uZolani. Inyaniso yile: khange ndiye ndawo. Izinto ezindiphazamisileyo yiKhorona nokubethwa kwam nguCasimero. Kodwa ngoku ndibuyele kwisimo sam sakudala. UZolani Tete abamazziyi ubuyile,” utshilo uTete owamkelwe zizihlwele eMonti ekuqaleni kwale veki.
USteve Barker umchaze njengeqhawe uRayners ongcwabe iPolokwane City