UKekana nethemba lesicoco seligi
UKAPUTENI weMamelodi Sundowns, uHlompho Kekana, ushaya phansi ngonyawo uthi iqembu lakhe lisekhona embangweni wesicoco seligi yize lingazange liyiqale kahle lesizini ka-2017/2018.
ISundowns ihlulwe kabili kulandelana emidlalweni ye-Absa Premiership. Ngempelasonto ishaywe AmaZulu FC ngo 2-1. Ngaphambi kwalokho ibilahle amaphuzu ihlulwa yiKaizer Chiefs ngo 2-1.
IDowns, ehlulekile ukuvikela isicoco seCAF Champions League ihlulwa kuma-quarterfinal, iyibambe endaweni yeshumi kwilog. Inemidlalo eyisithupha kanti amanye amaqembu asenemidlalo eyisishiyagalolunye.
“Anginakho nokuncane ukungabaza, sizovuka sikwazi ukunqoba iligi ngoba isephansi kakhulu. Kunemidlalo engu-24 esazodlalwa ngaphambi kokuthi kube khona owinayo. Mhlawumbe sihlukaniswe amaphuzu ayisithupha namaqembu angaphezulu kwethu,” kusho uKekana.
NgeSonto iDowns izovakashela iChippa United eSisa Dukashe Stadium emdlalweni weTelkom Knockout Last 16. Umdlalo uzoqala ngo-3.30 ntambama.
Ngesizini edlule amaBrazilians asikho isicoco sakuleli asinqobile. Agcine ngesizini ka-2015/2016 enqoba iTelkom neligi.
UKekana uthe emidlalweni yabo edlule iphutha labo elikhulu kube indlela abangenelwe ngayo amagoli.
“Kusemqoka kakhulu ukuthola umphumela ogculisayo kwiChippa. Uma ngibheka umdlalo waMaZulu noweChiefs asizange sidlale kabi kodwa asenzanga kahle emuva, yilokho esikulungisayo. Akulula ukudlala neChippa ikakhulukazi esibayeni sayo. Iyathanda ukugcina ibhola, bazosihlasela. Okwethu wukuthi siqinisekise ukuthi asiwenzi amaphutha emuva njengasemidlalweni edlule bese siba bukhali phambili,” kusho uKekana.
Ugcizelele ukuthi basakulambele ukuwola izicoco nalapha ekhaya.
“Ukunqoba izicoco ekhaya kuyohlezi kubalulekile kwiSundowns. Ngeke sikubalekele ukuthi into elindelwe kithina wukunqoba. Kukithina abadlali ukuthi senza umsebenzi enkundleni noma ngabe kunzima kangakanani.”
Ngokusho kwakhe asikho isidingo sokucasha ngesithupha ngokungatholi imiphumela emihle. KwiSundowns kunabadlali abangakazivuseleli izinkontileka nokuvela ukuthi bayahamba. ULeonardo Castro ukhonjwa kwiChiefs, uThemba Zwane noKhama Billiat abakasayini kabusha neqembu.
“Uma kukhona abangeneme ngezinkontileka angikholwa ukuthi lokho kungabaa nomthelela enkundleni. Ngale kwalokho bakhona abanye abadlali abangawenza umsebenzi. Asikwazi ukucasha ngesithupha ngoba nakhu iqembu lingenzi kahle,” kusho uKekana.