EzakamuvaiNedbank Cup

‘IPirates ayisisabisi yize siyihlonipha,’ kusho oweBay

SIHLE NGUBO 

Akangenwa amanzi emadolweni umqeqeshi obambile kwiRichards Bay FC, uRonnie Gabriel, njengoba ezakhe zizotholana phezulu ne-Orlando Pirates emdlalweni weNedbank Cup Last 32, eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza, ngeSonto ntambama.

INatal Rich Boyz aziyihambeli kahle neze izinto emidlalweni yeligi nokufakazelwa ukuthi seyize yaxosha ngisho obengumqeqeshi uBrandon Truter.

Leli qembu laseMhlathuze kubikwa ukuthi lizolanda uPapi Zothwane ukuthi azolicija kulandela ukungahlangani kwezingxoxo phakathi kwalo nobeqeqesha iMagesi FC, uClinton Larsen.

UZothwane ubeyiphini likaLarsen kwiMagesi emangaze abaningi ithatha indebe yeCarling Knockout ngoDisemba nyakenye. Kulo mqhudelwano ishaye iPirates neMamelodi Sundowns yemuka nendebe.

UGabriel ubona ukudlala nePirates kubanika ithuba elihle lokuzivivinya futhi akanakho ukwesaba ngalo mdlalo.

“Uma sibheka ifomu yamanje yePirates nendlela edlala ngayo, siyazi ukuthi bayiqembu elibheke phezulu futhi banomgqigqo omuhle njengamanje,” kusho uGabriel ekhuluma nabezindaba eMhlanga, eThekwini, ngoLwesithathu.

“Nokho uma ubheka imidlalo yethu kule minyaka edlule sibhekene nePirates, uzobona ukuthi sihlale sincintisana kahle nabo. Sihlale sibenza ukuthi bacabangisise.

“Ngonyaka odlule siye e-Orlando Stadium safike sabashaya enkundleni yabo. Sizibona sinamathuba njengoba siya kulo mdlalo.

“Asisatshiswa yiqembu esizodlala nalo (iPirates) yize silihlonipha. Sikholwa ukuthi sinesikwati esingakwazi ukubhekana nePirates ngosuku lomdlalo.”

IPirates iyona evikela iNedbank Cup esiyithathe iminyaka emibili ilandelana. Ngesizini edlule ishaye iMamelodi Sundowns ngo 2-1 kowamanqamu kulo mqhudelwano.

“Amalungiselelo abelokhu ehamba kahle kuleli sonto esikulona. Lokhu kunika iqembu ithuba eliyingqayizivele lokudlala neqembu eliphezulu ezweni lethu njengamanje,” kuqhuba uGabriel.

“Kuphinde kusinike ithuba lokudlalisa abadlali bethu abasha ukuze bakhombise ikhono labo. Siyazike sonke ukuthi le ndebe ingeyamathuba.

“Sinokuzethemba kakhulu njengoba siya kulo mdlalo. Uma ubheka imidlalo yethu ngendlela emi ngayo, kuyasivumela ukuthi sibophele iqembu eliqinile kuleli sonto.”

Phakathi kwabadlali abasayiniswe yiNatal Rich Boyz, kukhona uMxolisi Macuphu obedlalela iRoyal AM. UGabriel uthe lo mdlali usezicije kabili neqembu “kodwa sizobona ukuthi bakhona yini abadlali abazothola imizuzu embalwa (yokudlala) ngempelasonto.”

EZimnyama zisanda kuzibekisela indawo kuma-quarterfinal kwiCaf Champions League. Emdlalweni wokugcina wamaqoqo iPirates iguqise ompetha beChampions League, i-Al Ahly, ngo 2-1 eCairo ngempelasonto edlule.