OweDowns akafuni baphindwe esanyakenye kwiChampions League
SIHLE NGUBO
Umqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns, uMiguel Cardoso, akafuni ukuthi iqembu lakhe lingaqali kahle kweyaqoqo yeCAF Champions League njengoba kwenzekile ngesizini edlule.
Abafana Ba’Style bazobhekana neSaint Eloi Lupopo yaseDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) emdlalweni wokuqala wamaqoqo, eLoftus Stadium, ePitoli, ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama.
Leli qembu laseDRC yilona eliwashise ijezi i-Orlando Pirates kwiChampions League, ngakho iSundowns akumele ilithathe kancane.
Okunye okuhlaluke ngaleli qembu ukuthi lenza yini ukuze linqobe, ngakho iSundowns kumele ilindele umdlalo onezidubedube njengoba kwenzekile iLupopo ibhekene neBucs.
Ngonyaka odlule iSundowns iqale imidlalo yamaqoqo ngokubambana neManiema Union ngo 0-0 ekhaya, ngoNovemba 24.
Lokhu kuthande ukuyicindeza kakhulu kodwa ikwazile ukushaya leli qembu laseDRC ngo 2-1 ekuhambeni ngoJanuwari 25.
UMiguel uthi kulokhu bafuna ukuqala kahle imidlalo yamaqoqo ukuze bangazifakeli ingcindezi.
“Sikhumbula kahle ukuthi kwenzekani ngonyaka odlule, emdlalweni wokuqala wamaqoqo, iMamelodi Sundowns yehluleka ukushaya iManiema ekhaya,” kusho uCardoso.
“Lokho kwathanda ukulihlupha iqembu isikhashana emidlalweni yamaqoqo.
“Sifuna ukuqala kahle. Ukuqala kahle yinto oyenza uma kukhala impempe kanompempe.
“Abadlali abakhona abazoqala lo mdlalo, nakanjani baqinile futhi banamandla ukuthi bangalwela umphumela omuhle.”
Ukuqala kahle imidlalo yamaqoqo kweSundowns kuphinde kwananelwa umdlali waleli qembu wasesiswini uMarcello Allende.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi wonke umuntu eqenjini, abadlali nethimba labaqeqeshi, bayazi ukuthi ubaluleke kanjani lo mqhudelwano,” kusho u-Allende.
“Ukuqala ngokuqoqa amaphuzu amathathu yinto esemqoka emiqondweni yethu.
“Sizilungiselele kahle kakhulu kuleli sonto. Sikulungele ukuqala le midlalo.”
Ngemuva kwalo mdlalo iSundowns izolibangisa e-Algeria lapho izobhekana neMC Alger ngoNovemba 28.
Leli qembu, elicijwa uRulani Mokwena owake waqeqesha iSundowns, lishaywe yi-Al Hilal ngo 2-1 emdlalweni wokuqala wamaqoqo ngoLwesihlanu.
EzikaMokwena beziqala ngqa ukushaywa selokhu kuqale isizini ka-2025/2026 njengoba ziqunjwe phansi yiqembu laseSudan.
Nakanjani uMokwena nezakhe bazofunda ukuvuka bazithathe uma sebebhekene neSundowns njengoba bezobe bedlalela ekhaya.
