Ithemba kowoSuthu ngeNedbank Cup
UZIMISELE ngokuqhubeka nokwenza kahle kwiNedbank Cup ka-2018 umdlali waMaZulu uMichael Morton oseyinqobe amahlandla amathathu namaqembu ahlukene le ndebe ehamba nesheke lika-R7 million nebhonasi lokuyodlala kwiCAF Confederation Cup.
UMorton ubalwa nabadlali asebeyinqobe izikhawu eziningi iNedbank Cup. Indondo yakhe yokuqala yeNedbank Cup wayithola ngo-2010 ngesikhathi esagijima kwiBidvest Wits.
IWits yabhudluza AmaZulu asedlalelwa nguMorton ngo 3-0 e-FNB Stadium, eSoweto, eGoli. UMorton ukuphindile lokho ngo2016 ngesikhathi iSuperSport abedlala kuyona iqumba phansi i-Orlando Pirates ngo 3-2 ePeter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane, eLimpopo.
Ngonyaka odlule ubekhona futhi uMorton ngesikhathi leli qembu lithela othulini i-Orlando Pirates ngo 4-1 eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini. UMorton exoxa neSolezwe udalule ukuthi ufuna ukubona iqembu lakhe lihamba ibanga elide kulo mqhudelwano.
“Into esiyibheke kakhulu kule sizini wukuqinisekisa ukuthi iqembu lihlala esigabeni esikhulu. Noma kunjalo kodwa ngeke ngikufihle ukuthi kungakuhle uma kungathiwa sihamba ibanga elide kwiNedbank Cup. Lona ngumqhudelwano ojwayele ukungivuma ukuthi uwunqobe.
“Enye into enhle ngawo wukuthi uma udlala nala maqembu okuthiwa mancane abantu abaningi abaninaki kodwa wonke amehlo asuke ethe njo kula maqembu amakhulu. Baqala ukuninaka uma senihambe ibange elide. Ubuntu Cape Town ngeke sibuthathe kancane. Bakhiphe iqembu elidlala esigabeni esikhulu,” kusho uMorton.
Usuthu yilona iqembu laKwaZulu-Natal elagcina ukwenza kahle kulo mqhudelwano. Ngo2010 laqunjwa phansi yiWits. Kusuka lapho alikho elinye iqembu laseKZN eselike lafinyelela kowamanqamu.
“Njengamanje into esigxile kuyona wukufinyelela emaphuzwini angu-32. Ngicabanga ukuthi uma singathola amaphuzu angu-32 mancane amathuba okuthi sigawulwe yizembe. Uma sesithole angu-32 sizobe sesibona ukuthi ngeke sikwazi yini ukufinyelela kwangu-40 okusho ukuthi singazithola siqeda kwiTop 8. Into emqoka nje wukuthi sinqobe imidlalo yethu elandelayo,” kusho uMorton.
Njengamanje Usuthu seluqoqe amaphuzu angu-26 emidlalweni engu-21 ye-Absa Premiership.