Owayengumdlali we-Orlando Pirates uPatrick Phungwayo uthi lavinjwa wumhobholo wabantu ababefuna ukwenza imali ngaye iphupho lakhe lokuyodlalela iManchester United.
Lo mdlali owazakhela igama kwiBidvest Wits ngaphambi kokujoyina iPirates ngo-2012 uthi yayimfuna uthuli iManchester United esaneminyaka ewu-17, ngokunjalo nelinye iqembu elalisadlala kwiPremier League ngaleyo mnaka iBlackburn Rovers. Ngaleso sikhathi wayesadlala kwi-Africa Sports Youth Academy.
Ngokubona kwakhe, uthi wayengeke adlale kwiPSL ukube akavinjwanga yiminyaka yakhe.
“Angiboni ukuthi ngabe ngiyaziwa ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika uma ngikhuluma iqiniso nje,” kusho uPhungwayo engxoxweni neFARPost.
“Uma ngibuyela emuva, ngangisemncane ngesikhathi ngimenywa yiManchester United ukuthi ngizoziqeqesha nayo phesheya. IBlackburn Rovers yangimema sengineminyaka ewu-17,18, neyi-19. Ngangisadlala kwinkulisa abangibona kuyo. Babejwayele ukuthuma ama-scouts ukuthi azongibuka.
“Babefuna ukungisayinisa. Ngingasho nje ukuthi ukube abantu abathile babengenawo umhobholo ngangingeke ngidlale kwiPSL. Kwakunamaqembu ayengifuna kodwa ngoba ayengeke angithenge ngineminyaka ewu-16 noma 17, angikwazanga ukusayina ngoba abantu babefuna ukwenza imali.”
UPhungwayo uqhuba aveze ukuthi ngaohambi kokujoyina iWits ayekhona amaqembu ayesebeke izinkontileka efuna ukumsayinisa.
“Indaba yami iyadabukisa ekuqaleni, kodwa yaphela kahle.
“Kwakukhona elinye iqembu laseFrance elalingifuna nalo, ngisafunda isikole. Nalo lalingavumelekile ukukhokha imali lingisayinise. Kunalokho lathembisa ukuthi uma sengisayine inkontileka yebhola elikhokhelayo, kunemali abazoyikhokhela i-academy, kodwa ngenxa yezinto ezithile nalokho kwabhuntsha.
“Ngangihambi ngedwa lapho, ngangizohamba no-Oupa Manyisa.”
UManyisa wagcina ejoyine iPirates ngesikhathi esuka kwi-frica Sports Youth Academy ayekuyo noPhungwayo.
Ngemuva kokushiya iPirates ngo-2017, uPhungwayo wajoyina iFree State Stars wahlala amasizini amabili kuphela ngaphambi kokuwagaxa emgibeni.