‘ICrusaders ngeke izenzele kithina’
KUSULEKE izinyembezi kumshayisibhakela waseNingizimu Afrika, uMoruti “Babyface” Mthalane, ewina ibhande le-International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight izolo entathakusa.
UMthalane waKwaZulu-Natal, uhlule uMuhammad Waseem wasePalestine ngamaphuzu empini ebiseKuala Lampur, eMalaysia. Amajaji womathathu impi ayinikeze uMthalane ngo 114-113, 114-113 no 116-110. Impi kaMthalane noWaseem ibibhulela amazolo ebikade iphakathi kwengqwele yomhlaba uManny “Pacman” Pacquiao noLucas Matthysse waseArgentina abebebanga ibhande leWorld Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight.
UPacquiao wasePhilippines, unqobe ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi. Usewine izicoco zomhlaba ezingu-11 ezigabeni eziyisishiyagalombili.
UMthalane ubuyise ibhande aliphucwa yi-IBF engalivikelanga emuva kokuthi enqabe ukulwa ekhala ngemali encane ayezoyinikwa ngu-phromotha phesheya kwezilwandle. Inhliziyo yakhe ibibuhlungu isikhathi eside ngenxa yalokhu futhi ubengakufihli ukuthi uyakuncamela ukushaywa eringini kunokuphucwa ibhande ngenxa yezimo ezinjena.
Ngokuhlulwa nguMthalane, uWaseem, uphunyukwe yithuba lokuba yiqhawe ePalestine ngokuba ngumshayisibhakela wokuqala ukuwina ibhande lomhlaba emlandweni wezwe lakhe. Ngaphambi kwempi, uWaseem obeyingqwele esigabeni samaamesha, ucele imithandazo kubantu bangakubo.
Empini yangeSonto, uMthalane usebenze kanzima zibekwa ekhipha nezibhakela ezisheshayo ebeziyithola indawo emihlathini kaWaseem. Umhlokolozo wakhe ajwayele ukudla ngawo ubuyiphazamisa imicabango kaWaseem. Nokho uWaseem ukhombisile ngokuqhubeka kwempi ukuthi kungani ethole ithuba lokulwela ibhande le-IBF enezimpi eziyisishiyagalombili kuphela esibhakeleni esikhokhelayo. UMthalane ucishe wamosha wonke umsebenzi abese ewenzile evumela uWaseem ukuthi abuyele empini ngokungasheshi ukuvika uma ekade ekhiphile nokuyinto ikhona likaWaseem eliyibonile layisebenzisa. Ngomzuliswano ka-11, uWaseem umqumbe phansi uMthalane ngesibhakela sesokunxele. Nokho leli qhawe laseKZN libuye ngamandla lenza isiqiniseko sokuthi liyawuwina umzuliswano wokugcina.
UMQEQESHI weCell C Sharks, uRobert Du Preez, uthi uma iCrusaders icabanga ukuthi izoziphuzela itiye kubona, ishaye phansi kwashunqa uthuli ngoba izoyikhotha imbenge yomile.
UDu Preez ukusho lokhu ngoMgqibelo ebusuku ngemva kokuthi ezakhe zithele othulini iJaguares ngo 20-10, eKings Park.
Ama-try amabili eSharks ashaywe u-Akker van der Werwe noKobus van Wyk. IJaguares ishaye eyodwa ebekwe uSebastian Canceleirr.
Bekuwumdlalo iSharks obekufanele iwunqobe noma yikanjani ngoba iHighlanders iwenze walula umsebenzi ishaya iRebels ngo 43-37. Njengoba iSharks igcine iwunqobile umdlalo, ibe ngunombolo 8 kwi-log ehlanganisa wonke amaqembu kwiSuper Rugby ngamaphuzu awu-36.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi izotholana phezulu neCrusaders yaseNew Zealand okuyiyona eqhwakele kwi-log ngamaphuzu awu-63. Kwabaningi iSharks ngeke ilibone elidlalayo kulo mdlalo ezinkunzini zaseNew Zealand kodwa uDu Preez uthe kungenzeka noma yini nakuba sekuphele iminyaka emibili iCrusaders ingashayelwa ekhaya.
“Sibhekene neqembu elihle futhi elinomlando omuhle. Alikho esicongweni se-log ngephutha. Linabadlali abahle futhi abakwaziyo ukugcina ibhola esandleni uma beliphethe. Asiyile nathi ukuyoba ngabalandeli. Sizofike sizibonakalise, kungenzeka noma yini ngoba siyolwa impela,” usho kanje uDu Preez.
NgoMashi iSharks ivakashele eNew Zealand ukuyozwana amandla namaqembu akhona kulo mqhudelwano weSuper Rugby. EzikaDu Preez zathela othulini iBlues ngo 63-40, zahlulwa ekugcineni zidlala neHurricanes ngo 38-37.
“Siyazi ukuthi bayasazi, njengoba nathi sibazi. Leli yithuba elihle lokuthi sikhombise ukuthi esikwenze sivakashele khona (eNew Zealand) kwakungekhona ukuqondana kwezinto. Sifuna ukubahlula, kungenjalo kuzofanele sihlale phansi ekhaya singalubhadi khona,” kusho uDu Preez. ISharks ihambe izolo ekuseni ukuya eNew Zealand. Lions 38-12 Bulls; Sharks 20-10 Jaguares; Waratahs 31-40 Brumbies; Crusaders 54-17 Blues; Highlanders 43-37 Rebels; Reds 48-27 Sunwolves; Chiefs 28-24 Hurricanes