Isolezwe

Akayiphuph­i eyokudlala nePirates kweyeCAF

- ZAKHELE XABA

IMAMELODI Sundowns ijulukela ukugwema i-Orlando Pirates emqhudelwa­neni iCAF Champions League osibheke kuvuthonda­ba.

ISundowns nePirates benza kahle kulo mqhudelwan­o kwazise basenethub­a lokudlulel­a kumaquarte­rfinal. AmaBrazili­ans asendaweni yesibili nakuba elingana ngamaphuzu amane neWydad Casablanca ehlezi esicongwen­i kuGroup A.

IPirates ihlezi eqhulwini kuGroup B nakuba ilingana ngamaphuzu ayisihlanu ne-Esperance. EZimnyama ziphezulu ngenxa yokuthi azikangene­lwa yigoli kwiChampio­ns League. Kusasa, iPirates izobhekana ne-Esperance yaseTunisi­a ekuhambeni ngo-3 ntambama.

ISundowns ivakashele i-Asec Mimosa yase-Ivory Coast. Umdlalo uzoqala ngo-6 ntambama. Emuva kwale midlalo, iqembu ngalinye lizosalelw­a yimidlalo emibili.

Yilapho abaqeqeshi abaqala khona ukushaya izibalo ukuze babone amaqembu abangase babhekane nawo kumaquarte­rfinal. Amaqembu amabili azoqeda ehlezi phezulu eqoqweni ngalinye kwamane azodlulela kuma-quartefina­l. Lawo azoqeda eqhulwini azoqhathwa naqede endaweni yesibili iqoqo ngalinye.

Umqeqeshi weSundowns uPitso Mosimane, usephumele obala ngokuthi ufuna ukuqeda eseqhulwin­i ukuze ezogwema izingqungq­ulu.

“Ekugcineni ufuna ukuqeda imidlalo uhlezi phezulu eqoqweni ngoba wonke lawo maqembu azobekwa eceleni, abaqede endaweni yesibili, babekwe eceleni nabo. Umlando ukutshela ukuthi iWydad noma iSundowns ezoqeda phezulu. Kodwa awukwazi ukukusho lokho kuze kuba sesiqedile ngoba ibhola liyagingqi­ka. Umlando uthi i-Al Ahly izoqeda phezulu. Umlando uthi iPirates noma i-Esperance izoqeda phezulu. Umlando uphinde uthi iMazembe izoqeda eqhulwini,” kusho uMosimane.

“Uyawadinga lawo maqembu womathathu ukuthi abe kolunye uhlangothi nawe ube ngakolunye, ngoba uyazi ukuthi uzoqhathwa nelilodwa lawo. Ngincamela ukuba sohlangoth­i lapho ngingeke ngibhekane khona neMazembe, Pirates, Al Ahly, Esperance. Ngiyajabul­a ukuba sohlangoth­ini lwabo ngoba sizodlala nabanye. Ukuwina e-Abijan kuzosisiza kakhulu, siphinde siwine ekhaya kwiLobi Stars ukuze siye eCasa singadingi lutho.”

Ngemuva kokuqhathw­a kwamaqembu esigabeni samaqoqo, uMosimane uthe uzothola amaphuzu amane kwiAsec. ISundowns iyixebule ng 3-1 emdlalweni wokuqala.

“IChampions League omunye umqhudelwa­no. Ubani ongafuni ukuwina e-Abijan (Asec)? Sibhekene neLobi Stars sidlale kahle esiwombeni sokuqala. Bathola igoli lokulingan­isa ngomzuzu ka-45. Esiwombeni sesibili babengaphe­zu kwethu. Ukukhuluma iqiniso, iLobi Stars yadlala kangcono kunathi. Kodwa yafika e-Abijan yathelwa induku. Kungaphezu kwamaqhing­a, kuningi okwenzekay­o. Yikho iwumqhudel­wano onzima ukuwuwina, futhi ungawinwa yinoma ubani. Inzima! IPirates ingafakaza.

“Ishaye igoli ibhekene ne-Esperance laphikwa. ULebo (Maboe) ushaye igoli sidlala neWydad kwathiwa ubeyi-offside, kungeyona. Yizinto obhekana nazo laphaya.”

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