SHEILA MHLONGO
Utholwe ku-Whish Tournament, wagcotshwa njengomdlali omncane ovelele e-Afrika. Inkanyezi esakhulayo ibuyela ekhaya isivele iyisihlabani sebhola.
Johannesburg – Mashi 2026.
Noma eneminyaka engu-14 kuphela, uNdidi Nzwana John usesheshe waba ngomunye wabadlali bebhola abancane abajabulisa kakhulu eNingizimu Afrika, igama lakhe seliqala ukuzwakala ngisho nasemakilabhini aseYurophu.
Lo mdlali ovikela iqembu iFlair Feet Stars FC wagqama kakhulu ngesikhathi edlala kahle emqhudelwaneni iWSH Elite Cup South Africa 2025, lapho iqembu lakhe lagcina liphakamise indebe ehlonishwayo.
Okumangalisayo wukuthi lo mdlali osemuva enkundleni akagcinanga ngokuvikela kuphela, kodwa waphinde waba ngumshayi magoli ohamba phambili emqhudelwaneni, into engavamile kakhulu kumdlali odlala emuva.
Ukudlala kwakhe okuhle kwamvulela amathuba aseYurophu ngokushesha, lapho esanda kuya khona e-Italy ukuyohlolwa amakilabhu amakhulu i-AS Roma neFrosinone Calcio. Lokhu kumenze wanyathela ezinkundleni zokuqeqesha zamaqembu akhokhelwayo eseneminyaka lapho abaningi besadlala nje ngokuphupha ngalelo thuba.
Ngokusho komphathi wakhe uJorge Abong, lomfana waseNingizimu Afrika washesha ukubonisa ikhono layo.
“UNdidi unethalente elingajwayelekile. Noma esanda kufika ehambweni olude, ekhathazeke yi-jet lag kanye nesimo sezulu esibandayo, wakwazi ukujabulisa abaqeqeshi futhi washaya negoli ngesikhathi sokuqeqeshwa,” kusho u-Abong.
Kodwa uhambo lwakhe lokubuyela ekhaya lwaphenduka inselelo enkulu.
Ngesikhathi ebuyela eNingizimu Afrika, ukwanda kwezingxabano eMpumalanga Ephakathi kwaphazamisa izindiza zamazwe ngamazwe, kwaphoqa ukuthi indiza yakhe ihlehliswe. Lokhu kwashiya lo mdlali omncane ebambeke esikhumulweni sezindiza izinsuku ezintathu nomphathi wakhe kanye nabanye abadlali ababili.
Noma kunjalo, uNdidi wakwazi ukubhekana naleso simo ngesibindi nokuzola okungajwayelekile kumdlali osemncane.
Indaba yakhe yebhola yaqala eneminyaka emine kuphela edlala eqenjini iPanorama FC eJohannesburg. Ekuqaleni wayengumgadli, kodwa wake wadabuka kakhulu ngesikhathi umqeqeshi emdlulisela esikhundleni sokuvikela.
Namuhla leso sinqumo simenze waba ngumdlali oyingqayizivele – umvikeli oqinile kodwa osenamakhono okushaya amagoli.
Ngesizini edlule uphinde wadlala eqenjini iJomo Cosmos Under-13 kuGauteng Development League, lapho engeza khona amagoli amabili emlandweni wakhe okhulayo.
Ngemuva kwaleli thalente elikhulayo kukhona uyise futhi ongumqeqeshi wakhe, uCajethan Nnamdi John, othi impumelelo yendodana yakhe yakhiwe ukuzimisela, ukholo kanye nokuqeqeshwa okungapheli.
KuNdidi John, uhambo olusuka ezinkundleni zebhola zomphakathi luye eYurophu lusanda kuqala. Kodwa lo mdlali omncane usevele ekhombisa ukuthi unekhono, ukuzimisela namandla okuba ngomunye wezihlabani zebhola ezizayo eNingizimu Afrika.
UNdidi uthe ulwazi lwakhe e-Italy luguqule impilo yakhe.
“Ngifunde amakhono amasha, ngabona isiko elisha, ngathokozela ukudla kwase-Italy futhi ngabona nengqalasizinda yezinga lomhlaba. Ngifisa ukubuyela khona futhi ngilandele umsebenzi wami webhola lapho,” kuphetha uNdidi John.
Ikhishwe yiKwathole Conexion egameni leFlair Feet Stars FC.
