IPirates iqophe umlando omusha eCairo ishaya i-Al Ahly
SIHLE NGUBO
I-Orlando Pirates ibe yiqembu lokuqala ukushayela ompetha beCaf Champions League, i-Al Ahly, eCairo International Stadium kathathu kulo mqhudelwano.
EZimnyama zinqobe ngo 2-1 kulo mdlalo nokuqinisekise ukuthi ziqeda eqhulwini eqoqweni lazo, i-Al Ahly yaqeda endaweni yesibili. Ngaphambi kwalokhu iPirates bese ike yanqoba kabili eCairo, ibhekene ne-Al Ahly, nokuyinto engakaze yenziwe elinye iqembu.
IPirates akukho okutheni ekwenzile ngesiwombe sokuqala futhi alikho ibhola elibi elithumele kunozinti weqembu lasekhaya. Yi-Al hly ethole amathuba ambalwa okushaya amagoli kodwa zagcina ziye ekhefini kungu 0-0.
Ibuye seyingcono iBucs ngesiwombe sesibili, seyiba yingozi uma iya phambili. Ngomzuzu ka-53 kugcine kube nomphumela omuhle lokho ngesikhathi uRelebohile Mofokeng eshaya igoli, zahamba phambili eZimnyama.
Nokho i-Al Ahly yenze ushintsho ngemuva kwalokho, kucaca ukuthi ifuna igoli. Ngomzuzu ka-67 umdlali obesuka ebhentshini, uHussein Aly Elshahat, ushaye igoli lokulinganisa leqembu lasekhaya.
EZimnyama nazo zenze ushintsho zafaka uDeivi Viera noTshegofatso Mabasa. Bangene nomnyakazo omuhle kwagcina ngokuthi uDeivi Viera ashaye igoli ngomzuzu ka-83.
I-Al Ahly beyizitshela ukuthi isilitholile elokulinganisa ngomzuzu wokugcina esikhathini esengeziwe kodwa kwavela ukuthi umdlali wayo ubesendaweni engamfanele.
Ukuqeda esicongweni bekubalulekile kakhulu ngoba kuzoba nomthelela ekutheni iqembu libhekana naliphi emidlalweni yama-quarterfinal kulo mqhudelwano.
Amaqembu azoqeda phezulu emaqoqweni awo ngeke afakwe ebhodweni elilodwa nalawo azoqeda isibili, uma sekuqhathwa amaqembu azodlala kuma-quarterfinal, nokuchaza ukuthi ngeke abhekane wodwa.
Lawo azoqeda endaweni yesibili azongena ebhodweni elilodwa bese atonyulwe ukuthi abhekane nalawo azobe eqede esicongweni.
Lokhu kuzoncika iPirates ithuba elingcono lokudlulela kweyandulela owamanqamu kwiCaf Champions League, nokuzoyisondeza ekunqobeni le ndebe okokuqala kusukela ngo-1995.