Lubhalwe nguDylan Bettencourt
UBasia Michaels uthi amaqembu ase-Europe kanye nabammele abadlali bayathintana nabo ngemuva kokudlala kahle kukaMbekezeli Mbokazi kwiNdebe Yomhlaba neBafana Bafana.
IChicago Fire ikulungele ukumdayisa lo mdlali oyi-defender, kodwa uMichaels uthi noma yisiphi isivumelwano kumele sisize umsebenzi wakhe wesikhathi eside.
Isinyathelo esilandelayo sikaMbekezeli Mbokazi ngeke siphuthumiswe. Lo mdlali oyi-defender oneminyaka engu-20 ubudala usehehe abantu abaningi ngemuva kokukhula kwakhe kwiChicago Fire nakwiBafana Bafana.
Ummele yena, uBasia Michaels, uthi amakilabhu kanye nabammele abadlali baphesheya kwezilwandle bayathintana nabo ukuzobuza ukuthi kungenzeka yini ukuthi kube nesivumelwano.
UMbokazi wajoyina iChicago Fire esuka kwi-Orlando Pirates ezinyangeni eziyisishiyagalombili ezedlule.
Ikilabhu yaseMelika yakhokha u-US$3 million(cishe izigidi ezingu-48.7) ngaye. Inkontileka yakhe iphela ngo-2029, kanti kukhona nethuba lokuyelula ngonyaka owodwa.
Kodwa uMichaels utshele i-News24 ukuthi iChicago Fire ikulungele ukumdayisa uma kuvela ikilabhu efanele.
“Ngiyabonga ngokuthi amakilabhu athintane neChicago noma nami. IChicago ikulungele ukumdayisa. Ngifuna ukukucacisa lokho,” kusho uMichaels.
Uthe iChicago ngeke imvimbe uMbokazi uma isinyathelo esilandelayo simfanele.
“Uma kuvela ikilabhu futhi lelo qembu lifanele, indlela elisebenza ngayo ifanele, kanye nohlelo lwalo lufanele, sizomdayisa,” kusho yena.
Izinga likaMbokazi likhuphuke ngokushesha. Waqala kwi-Home Sweepers FC eHluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, ngaphambi kokudlala kwi-Makhasa FC nakwi-Mtuba All Stars. I-Orlando Pirates yambona ngo-2023. Wafika ezikhundleni zokuthuthukiswa kweqembu, wagqama eqenjini le-DStv Diski Challenge futhi wadlala okokuqala eqenjini labaphezulu ngoNdasa ka-2025.
Ngezinyanga ezimbalwa, wayeseChicago Fire futhi ethenjwa nguHugo Broos eqenjini leBafana.
UMbokazi wadlala indima enkulu kwiBafana kwi-Africa Cup of Nations ka-2025 futhi wasiza iNingizimu Afrika ukuthi ifinyelele emzuliswaneni weNdebe Yomhlaba okokuqala.
UMichaels uthe iNdebe Yomhlaba ilethe ukunakwa okwengeziwe, kodwa waxwayisa ngokuthi ukudluliselwa okukhulu kwamanye amazwe kuthatha isikhathi.
Uthe ukuthuthela kukaRelebohile Mofokeng eRoyale Union Saint-Gilloise akuzange kuqedwe ngenxa yeNdebe Yomhlaba yodwa.
“Isivumelwano sikaRelebohile asizange senzeke ngenxa yendlela adlale ngayo kwiNdebe Yomhlaba,” esho. “Sasiqediwe. INdebe Yomhlaba yayiyinto emnandi kakhulu.”
UMichaels uthe izivumelwano zekilabhu nekilabhu, imithetho yamazwe ngamazwe kanye nemibandela yomuntu siqu konke kuthatha isikhathi.
“Ngifuna ngempela ukuxwayisa ngokubeka isikhathi ngoba lezi zivumelwano azenzeki ngobusuku obubodwa,” esho.
Uthe ukuthuthela kukaMbokazi eChicago Fire nakho kwathatha izinyanga ukuqedwa.
“Kwangithatha izinyanga ezinhlanu ezinhle ukumdlulisa kwiChicago,” esho.
UMichaels uthe umgomo ukuthi uMbokazi adlale e-Europe iminyaka engu-10 kuya kwengu-15 ezayo.
Lokho kusho ukuthi iqembu lakhe elilandelayo kumele libe yisinyathelo esifanele, hhayi nje amahemuhemu amakhulu.
Ngokusho kwe-News24, uMichaels uchithe imibiko exhumanisa uMbokazi neReal Betis kanye ne-Ajax Amsterdam.
“Mina noMbokazi, siyazi ukuthi esikufisa ikuphi,” kusho yena. “Akudingeki ukuthi konke kwenziwe ngesikhathi esisodwa, futhi yilokho okubaluleke kakhulu engicabanga ukuthi abantu kudingeka bakuqaphele.”
Esithombeni esingenhla: UMbekezeli Mbokazi usengomunye wabavikeli abasebasha abashisayo ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika.
Umthombo wesithombe: Mbekezeli Mbokazi/Instagram