Iqela lebhola ekhatywayo laKwaZulu-Natal, iMaritzburg United, libhengeze uJohn Maduka njengomqeqehi walo omtsha namhlanje emini. Ukufika komqeqeshi omtsha kulandela isigqibo sokwahlukana nomqeqeshi obekhona ngaphambili, uErnst Middendorp, obuyele kwikhaya lakhe lokuzalwa eGermany. Yena umqeqeshi omtsha weTeam of Choice ebengumqeqeshi weRoyal AM kwizisini egqithileyo yeDStv Premiership. Uhambe kuyo eqhube kakuhle kakhulu. Kwisizini yayo yokuqala, uMaduka uyishiye iRoyal AM ikwindawo yesithathu futhi ihlonitshwa njengelinye lamaqela alushica kwiDStv Premiership.
UMamkhize, ongumnikazi weRoyal AM, wabaneqela kwinqanaba eliphezulu ebholeni yaseMzantsi Afrika emva kokuthenga iBloemfontein Celtic yephondo laseFree State. UMaduka, 51, waseMalawi ngokuzalwa, uza kuncediswa nguDitheko Mototo – indoda akhe wasebenza nayo kwiSiwelele. Bobabini batyikitye izivumelwano zengqesho zeminyaka emithathu. Emva kokubhengezwa kwakhe ngokusesikweni liqela laseMgungundlovu, uMaduka uvakalise ulonwabo.
“Kuliwonga elikhulu kum ukuba ngumqeqeshi weqela lebhola ekhatywayo elifana neMaritzburg United. Sendingxamele ukuqala emva kwengxoko ebendinayo nosihlalo nesigqeba esiphethe iqela. Ndiyivile intshasakalo nomnqweno wokuba liqela eliphumeleleyo. Wonke umntu otyelela eHarry Gwala Stadium, soze angaliva ufuthe labalandeli beMaritzburg United. Inkxaso yabalandeli iza kubaluleka kakhulu kwisizini ezayo,” utshilo uMaduka olibuleleyo ithuba elinikiweyo yiTeam of Choice.
“Eli lithuba elihle kakhulu kum – kodwa mkhulu umsebenzi osilindileyo. Nangona kunjalo, ndingatsho ukuba ndikulungene ukungena ebaleni ndisebenze nabadlali. Ndiyababulela abaphathi beqela ngokundamkela kakuhle,” utshilo uMaduka. Asikacaci isizathu esibangele uMaduka ayibaleke iRoyal AM eqhube kakuhle phantsi kwesandla sakhe. Amadoda afana noGavin Hunt no-Owen Da Gama aphakathi kwabantu ekucingeleka ukuba bangaqeqeshi iThwihli Thwahla kwisizini ezayo.
‘MayingabingooNopopi ooCeba, mabasebenze ekuhlaleni njengoko bonyulelwe oko’