UKhune uphakathi kwamakhwenkwe amadala kwiChiefs azenzele imbali!

Emva kokudibanisa amakhulu amathathu emidlalo edlalela
iKaizer Chiefs, ngoku unozinti ophambili eMzantsi Afrika, u-Itumeleng Khune,
ubalwa phakathi kwamakhwenkwe amadala azenzele imbali engumangaliso kweli qela
lizinze eNaturena. UKhune idibanise eli nani kwiveki ephelileyo ngethuba
iChiefs ibetha iqela laseNtshona Koloni, iStellensch FC, ngo’2-1 kumdlalo
weNedbank Cup. Ebomini bakhe bebhola ekhatywayo, akukho nto angayifumenanga
uKhune. Phakathi kwezinto ezibalulekileyo yinqwaba yeendebe azifumene
kwiChiefs, ukudlalela amaqela wesizwe: amancinane ukuya kwelidala (SA Under-20,
Under-23 neBafana Bafana), ukudlala kwindebe yehlabathi (2010 Fifa World Cup) nakwimidlalo
ye-Olimpiki – kodwa ukufikelela kumakhulu amathathu emidlalo njengomdlali
weKaizer Chiefs yinto ekhethekileyo futhi nenkulu kakhulu.

Ngoku uphakathi kwamaxhwangusha azenzela igama eNaturena
aquka uDoctor Khumalo (397), uBrian Baloyi (347), uThabo Mooki (329), uSiphiwe
Tshabalala (325) noTinashe Nengomasha (311). UKhune, 30, wafika eNaturena
ngo-1999 emva kokuqatshwela kwesakhono sakhe ngabachongi kwinkqubo yokuhluzwa
kwabadlali eyayikhona ngalo nyaka. Waqala kumaqela amancinane kwiChiefs –
kwathi xa uBrian Baloyi ethathwa yiMamelodi Sundowns ngo-2004, kwavuleka ithuba
lokungena kwalo nozinti kwiqela elidala. Ngelo xesha kwakukho
oompondozihlanjiwe boonozinti abafana noRowen Fernandez no-Emile Baron
ababeswantsulisana noBaloyi owayesebambe indawo ephambili kwiChiefs ixesha
elide.

Emva kokuthathwa kukaFernandes liqela laseJamani (Germany) elibizwa ngokuba yi-Arminia Bielefeld phambi kokuqala
kwesizini ka-2007/2008, kwaye kwavuleka ithuba lokudlala kuKhune. Ukusukela
kumdlalo wakhe wokuqa owawuphakathi kweChiefs neJomo Cosmos ngo-2007 – lo nozinti
zange aphinde ajonge ngasemva. Namhlanje uphakathi koonozinti abaqaqambileyo
kwi-Afrika nehlabathi ngokubanzi. Esinye sezizathu ezibangele uKhune akwazi
ukuzuza impumelelo engaka ebholeni ekhatywayo kukuba udlala ngokuzimisela
ngamaxesha onke. Lo nto uyenze kwiqela lakhe nakwimidlalo yeqela lesizwe –
iBafana Bafana. Nakubeni sele enemidlalo emininzi ayidlaleleyo, u-Itu uthi
usenomnqweno wokudlala imidlalo emininzi aphumelele neendebe kwaye uthi uziva
ewongekile kukufikelela kwakhe kwinqanaba akulo ngoku.

“Kuyandichulumancisa ukufika kwimidlalo engamakhulu
amathathu (300). Ndiyavuya nyhani – kodwa andonelisekanga ngoba ndicinga ukuba
bekumeluba sendidlale imidlalo emininzi kakhulu. Akwenzekanga oko ngenxa
yokonzakala. Kodwa ke ezo zinto zizinto ezehlela abadlali bebhola. Into
ebalulekileyo kukomelela. Akungaba ndifuna ukuba ngumdlali onemidlalo emininzi –
into endiyifunayo kukuqhubela phambili ndisenza into endiyithandayo,” utshilo
uKhune kwiKickOff Magazine.

“Ndiye ndakuthazeka xa ndisiva umqeqeshi noogxa bam
bevuyisana nama. Ndithe kubo ndishiyekelwe ziisizini ezilithoba zonke ebholeni
ndiqhula. Ndifuna ukudlala ibhola ndide ndibe namashumi amane eminyaka,”
utshilo uKhune.

Ngentsimbi yesithandathu emalanga namhlanje Amakhosi amkela AmaZulu FC kumdlalo we-Absa Premier Soccer League ozakube ubanjelwe eFNB Stadium.