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Njengabo bonke abantu baseNingizimu Afrika, akungabazeki ukuthi uClive “The Dog” Barker, uyothandwa aphinde abongwe kakhulu ngemisebenzi yakhe uma esedlulile emhlabeni.
Kulabo abase bezifela ngonobhutshuzwayo eMzansi ngo-1996, igama elithi Clive Barker bayalihlonipha kakhulu. UBarker kusenguyena yedwa umqeqeshi owinise iBafana Bafana indebe ye-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), nokuyinto ayenza ngo-1996 kuleli.
Umuzwa wokuwina indebe enkulu e-Afrika ngo-1996, wawuyinto engeke ifaniswe nalutho. Lokhu kungenxa kaBarker neqembu ayelihlanganisile liholwa nguNeil Tovey.
Kuze kube yimanje abanye abaqeqeshi bayahluleka ukwenza lokho kanti abanye abakwazi nokufaka iqembu lesizwe kweyamanqamu ye-Afcon. Iyaqala nje imidlalo ye-Afcon ngenyanga ezayo eCameroon kodwa iqembu lakuleli lizobe lingekho ngoba lihlulekile ukuzibekisela ondawo.
Ngaphandle kwempumelelo yakhe neBafana, uBarker alikho iqembu asesebenze kulona kaningi ukudlula AmaZulu FC. Usebenze kuSuthu ngo-1974 kuya ku-1976, 1986 kuya ku-1987, 1991 kuya ku-1993, 1997 kuya ku-1999, ngo-2004 (Zulu Royals), ngo-2006, nango-2007 kuya ku-2009.
Kuzo zonke lezi zikhathi uBarker esebenza kuSuthu umsebenzi wakhe ububonakala. Empelelni Usuthu lwagcina ukuqukula indebe ngo-1992 lushaya iKaizer Chiefs ngo 3-1 kowamanqamu weCoca Cola Cup (egcine ibizwa ngeTelkom Knockout). Ngaleso sikhathi lwaluholwa uBarker.
Nakanjani uBarker ufanelwe ukunconywa esaphila ngamagalelo akhe ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika ngaphandle kokuqhathaniswa nanye abaqeqeshi. Baningi abaqeqeshi asebenze kahle eMzansi okumele bahlonishwe kunobhutshuzwayo, okubalwa kubona uGavin Hunt, Gordon Igesund, Pitso Mosimane, Jomo Sono nabanye.
Mhlawumbe uBarker uhluke ngokuthi uwine indebe neqembu lesizwe kanti laba abanye bawine isicoco seligi nezinye izindebe namaqembu ahlukene aseNingizimu Afrika.
Ngaphandle kweBafana naMaZulu uBarker usebenzele inqwaba yamaqembu esingabala kuwona iDurban Bush Bucks, Santos Cape Town, Manning Rangers, Maritzburg United neBidvest Wits.
Uma kuthiwa akusukume umuntu ongahlonishwa ngokubizwa ngoSir ebholeni laseMzansi, uBarker kungamele abe mdibi munye noMosimane, Hunt, Sono no-Igesund.
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