Kwezimidlalo sixoxa loAmin Soma-Phiri, umdlali wenguqu owake waba lodumo njalo owaqeqetsha iqembu leHighlanders.
UPhiri wadlalela iqembu leOlympics engakayi kuHighlanders lapho okwaduma igama lakhe labalandeli bembiza ngegama lika Makanaky, owayedlalela iqembu leCameroon. Uleminyaka yokuzalwa engamatshumi ayisithupha lanye – 61.
"Ngiqale vele ngingumfana odlala ibhola nje emalokitshini khonapha ngingumfana wemalokitshini ngidlalela iqembu okuthiwa yi-Luveve Big XI yikho lapho engabonwa nguBarry Daka ngo1979 ngile 16 years ngisase ngumfanyana. uBarry Daka nguye owaye ngumqeqetshi ngapha edlalela iqembu leHighlanders. Uguye umuntu owenza into zami zaba lula ebholeni ngaqala ngayadlala kuqembu leOlympics lapho engangilokhu ngingumfana. Ngadlalela iqembu leli kusukela ngomnyaka ka1980 kusiya kumnyaka ka1984. Ngalesos’ikhathi ngasengidlala sibili."
Pho wangena njani kuBosso uPhiti?
"Ngithe ngisuka khonangale eh ubhele wayambiza esengu coach ngo 1985 kulokhuzeni kuHighlanders where I was bought for a thousand dollars it was a very good achievement for me ngingumfana osuka eluveve kwakunzima ukudlalela Highlanders usuka emalokitshini like oNjube elokhuzeni eluveve eh emagwegwe and so forth ngoba kwakunzima abantu owawubafica kuHighlanders bethu uvelela emawezi."
Ngesikhathi uPhiri esiyadlalela iqembu leHighlanders kwakungalula ngoba kwakugcwele intshantshu kuleliqembu.
"Bathe bestrike kwakhanya mina ngilo Tobias Mdlambanje angithi sasivele singabantu esasithengwe ngo85, angithi, but ibreakthrough yayi nzima ngoba kwaku labo Titus Majola, Fanuel, David Phiri, Douglas Mloyi, Richard Ndlovu, Joe Mabika, Madinda, Nhamo Shambira … Kwakuvele kunzima ukuthi ungene. So, ngahle ngathola opportunity khonapho."
Eselomnyaka edlalela iTshilamoya, uPhiri leBosso yakhe baqala ukutshaya bebhuqa amanye amaqembu kwezenguqu waze waphiwa legama ngabalendeli baleliqembu.
“Ngo1986 sathatha phose konke okwakukhona emdlalweni wenguqu. Esakukhuthayo yinkezo yePremier Soccer League. Saba kusigaba sama runners up. Ngakholisa kakhulu kuBosso njalo ngangivele ngingumuntu owayesebenza kakhulu ngikwazi ukuthi ngifunani. Ngangivele ngifuna ukuba njengo Makanaky. Khonapho ngangivele ngingumuntu odlala umdlalo webhola ngapha ngikanika izimota. Abantu abathathu ababengikhathaza kwakunguJoel Shambo, Moses Chunga kwasekufika umfana lo owacina ebhubha, kalale ngokuthula, uDebby Mankinka. Bebehlupha abantu laba.”
Izidakamizwa sezilimaze abasakhulayo abanengi kwele Zimbabwe. UPhiri uthi abadlali bamaqembu atshiyeneyo behluleka nje ukudlala ibhola ngoba baqedwa yizidakamizwa.
"Abafana bethu bakhathesi abasafani lathi ngoba sebengene ezintweni lezi ezinengi ezezidakimizwa lokunye. Umuntu engadlala 60 minutes yinhlanhla kakhulu. Ungathi uyakhangela kuqembu lami eleHighlanders abafana baphelile. Kumele kube lendlela zokuhlolisisa okwenziwa ngabafana bonke. Kube lalokhu okuthiwa yi-doping system. Lokhu kwenziwa ngamazwe wonke. Kungenziwa eZimbabwe angiboni ukuthi bengadlala ibhola abafana abanengi elizweni.”
UPhiri uthi inhlanganiso yezenguqu eyeZifa lamaqembu enguqu kumele basebenzise ababengaba dlali benguqu ukuthi bafundise abadlali bakulezinsuku ngobubi bokuthatha izadakimizwa.
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Udaba Esilwethulelwe nguEzra Tshisa SIbanda