Ngu Razeen Gutta
Ngethuba uPele wayetyelele isixeko saseBenin ngonyaka ka1969, phakathi kwemfazwe yesikhaya eyayigquba kwelalizwe, inkangeleko yebhola ekhatywayo yaseNigeria yatshintsha ngonaphakade.
Njengoko umkhosi worhulumente waseNigeria kunye neBiafran Independence Fighters bazibona bephakathi enzulwini yempi, lomdlali webhola wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabini anesibhozo, sele ephumelele indebe yeFifa amatyeli amabini wangena kwindawo yexhwayelo, ngoko nangoko zabekwa phantsi izikhali ngamaqela awayengaboni ngaso linye.
UPele, owayengomnye wabadlali abaqaqambileyo kwibhola ekhatywayo, uyintandane yelize laseAfrika kuba okhokho bakhe baseAfrika.
Umdlalo owawujongwe ngamehlo abomvu phakathi kweqela lasekuhlaleni iMid-Western Stae XI kunye neqela elithandwayo laseBrazil iSantos wagcwalisa ibala lemidlalo lama ngeembambo ngabalandeli, abakhe bathatha imizuzu engamashumi alithoba balibala ngempi, bamanyana bonwabela umdlalo omhle.
UPele ngumdlali ohlonitshiweyo eNigeria, nalapho abambalwa belichaza ngcono ilifa lakhe kunomlawuli wombindi welizwe lasentshona uSamuel Ogbemudia, owanceda ngokwenza izicwangciso zalomdlalo kwisithuba esingaphezu kweminyaka engamashumi amahlanu eyadlulayo.
“Utyelelo luka Pele lwabangela utshintsho lwezinto ezininzi. Iqumrhu iNigerian Football Association, endilisebenzele iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi, laqalisa labonela kwilizwe laseBrazil, labalinganisa kwaye lakhuthaza nabadlali ukuba badlale njengabadlali baseBrazil,” utshilo uOgufere exelele iqonga lendaba iBBC Sport Africa.
“Oku kwabangela ukuba abadlali baseNigeria bayodlala eBrazil, kwaye ilizwe laseNigeria laqesha umqeqeshi waseBrazil uOtto Gloria owasinceda saphumelela indebe yeAfrica Cup of Nations okokuqala ngonyaka ka1980.”
“Iintliziyo zethu sonke zidandathekile ukulahlekelwa nguye, kodwa ushiye umqela ongasoze ulibaleke ekufuneka badlali bawulandele.”
UGodwini Izilein owayengu khapteni weqela laseNigeria ngomhla wesine kweyoMdumba ngonyaka ka1969, apho iSantos yaphumelela ngamanqaku mabini kwelinye, uzobe umfanekiso ngqondweni wendlela elalikhangeleka ngayo ibala lezemindlalo iOgbe Stadium ngolwasuku.
“Yonke into yayingo Pele. Ngaphambi kokubetha kwentsimbi yokuqala, ibala lemidlalo iOgbe Stadium yayigcwele ime ngembambo, abanye abantu babengahlalanga phantsi kuba babenemincili befuna ukubona indlela adlala ngayo uPele,” utshilo uIzilein exelela iBBC Sport Africa.
“UPele wayekonwabele kakhulu ukuthetha nam. Wathi kum, ‘ungathanda ukuhamba nam siye eBrazil?’ kodwa ndala.”
“Akukho mntu wayenolangazelelo olukhulu lokutyelela ngelaxesha. Kodwa ukuba bekungoku, ngendaba landela ngexesha kanye bephuma ebaleni.”
Umfanekiso ongasentla: Ngu Pele
Imvelaphi yomfanekiso: @africansilver
