OweDowns uzobangisana noKhune
UNOZINTI weMamelodi Sundowns, uReyaad Pieterse, akakaliphonsi ithawula ngokugudluza u-Itumeleng Khune kwesokuba ngunozinti wokuqina weBafana Bafana.
UPieterse usavimbe emidlalweni emibili kuphela kwiSundowns kusukela esayine kuyona emasontweni edlule esuka kwiSuperSport United. Uchithe amasizini amathathu kwiChiefs ebanga ijezi no-Itumeleng Khune noBrilliant Khuzwayo osevimbela i-Orlando Pirates. UPieterse ushiyile kwiChiefs ecikwa wukungalitholi ijezi kwazise yena ubefuna ukuvimba njalo.
Nokho nakwiSuperSport uhluleke wancama ukudla ijezi kuRonwen Williams. KwiSundowns, uPieterse uhlalelwe wumsebenzi wokugudluza uDenis Onyango waseKenya, Kennedy Mwenee waseZambia noThela Ngobeni obekade ehlala ngokubolekiswa. Ukukhonya kuka-Onyango, oqokwe njengonozinti ovelele e-Afrika ngo-2016, kugcine kujokolise unozinti weqembu lesizwe laseGhana, uRazak Brimah, okhale ngokuthi ukuphendulwa isibukeli eChloorkop kumlahlekisela ngendawo eqenjini lesizwe .
UPieterse uphumele ubala ngokuthi usazimisele ngokulwela ijezi leBafana eselibanjwe nguKhune cishe iminyaka engaphezu kuka-10.
“Umbango wejezi muhle kakhulu lapha eqenjini. Leso esinye sezizathu esingenze ngajoyina iSundowns. Uma ubanga indawo nabadlali abaphezulu nawe uba ngcono. Ekugcineni ngifuna ukushisisa umbango wejezi leBafana Bafana.
“Ngiyazi ukuthi ukusebenza noKennedy, Denis noThela nomqeqeshi uWendell (Robinson) kuzongenza ngithuthuke kakhulu. Okudingeka ngikwenze wukuzithoba ngiqhubeke nokulungisa lapho ngibuthaka khona,” kusho uPieterse.
“Ngesikhathi ngihlangana nomengameli (Patrice Motsepe) wangitshela ukuthi bafuna ngibe ngunozinti wokuqala weBafana Bafana. Ngiyakwazi okufanele ngikwenze. Ngiyazi ukuthi ngeke kube wuhambo olulula ngenxa yombango wejezi okhona lapha. Kodwa ekugcineni wenza izinto zibe mnandi kakhulu. Ngiyazi ukuthi kufanele ngisebenze ngoba leli yiphupho lami engifuna ukulifeza. Uma sekwenzeka ngiyojabula kodwa luselude ukhalo futhi lolu hambo lusanda kuqala.”
UPieterse usebuya okwesibili kwiSundowns. Ngesikhathi esengaphansi kohlelo lwakwaNike lokuvundulula ikhono , iThe Chance, ulitholile ithuba lokuziqeqesha neSundowns. Emuva kokuqokwa nabadle umhlanganiso, uthole inkontileka kwiShamrock Rovers yaseIreland. Ubuye eMzansi wasayina kwiChiefs.
Eqala ukuvimba kwiSundowns, uPieterse uhlangane nezimbila zithutha elanda ezintanjeni amabhola amabili bebhekene naMaZulu emdlalweni we-Absa Premiership ophele zibambene ngo 2-2 eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza, emasontweni adlule. Nokho ukwazile ukugeza igama lakhe behlula iLamontville Golden Arrows ngo 1-0 emdlalweni olandelayo.
“Sifundile emaphutheni ethu emdlalweni wesibili ne-Arrows. Ngiyajabula ukuthi angingenelwanga yigoli kulowo mdlalo. Ngiyajabula ukuthi sithole amaphuzu amathathu. Kufanele siqhubeke lapho,” kuphetha uPieterse.