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ULeonardo Castro ungomunye wabadlali beKaizer Chiefs abanamava okudlala kwiCAF Champions League njengoba Amakhosi ezoyibamba kowamanqamu kulo qhudelwano ngoMgqibelo.
IChiefs kumele ifuqe okokugcina izame ukuwina uma isibhekene ne-Al Ahly yase-Egypt eStade Mohammed V Stadium, eCasablanca, eMorocco. Amakhosi azabalaze kwaze kwalunga yize abenenkinga yokungavunyelwa ukusayinisa abadlali ngesizini edlule.
UCastro useyihambe kakhulu indlela emazombe yase-Afrika ngesikhathi esayibamba kwiMamelodi Sundowns. Uze wawina indebe yeChampions League naleli qembu laseChloorkop ngo-2016.
Lo mdlali waseColombia uthi uyifuna isejezini leqembu laseNaturena nakanjani inkanyezi ehambisana nokuwina isicoco esikhulu samaqembu sase-Afrika.
“Kumnandi kakhulu ukuba yingxenye yeqembu kulo mqhudelwano. Yinto enkulu kakhulu le nto eseyenziwe yiqembu lethu, iKaizer Chiefs… Nabo bonke abadlali nabaphathi beqembu,” kusho uCastro ongomunye wabadlali abadlale kahle kwiChampions League kule sizini.
“Okokuqala ngqa sihamba ibanga elide kangaka kulo mqhudelwano. Bekungelula ngoba besibhekene nezinto eziningi ngesikhathi siqhubeka nokudlala kwiChampions League. Bekunokulimala, iCovid-19, amakhadi nakho konke. Ngiyajabula ukuthi kukhona konke lokhu iqembu lihambe laze lafika lapha.
“Sonke sidlale indima enkulu ukuze sifike lapha sikhona njengamanje. Into ebalulekile manje ukuthi sikuqonde isho ukuthini iChampions League eqenjini, izwe lonke nasezwenikazi i-Afrika. Sisebenze kanzima ukufika lapho sikhona manje, ngakho sifuna ukufaka inkanyezi ejezini lethu.”
UCastro uthi uthi isibindi abasikhombisa bewina kunzima e-Angola emzuliswaneni wamaqoqo yiso esidingekayo futhi. Uthi ukubambisana kwabasiza babuya newini.
“Ngesikhathi siya e-Angola kwakuwumdlalo onzima, sibhekene neqembu elihlonishwayo. Sashaya igoli ngokuhlasela sisizana noKhama Billiat. Lelo goli yilona elisidlulise emidlalweni yamaqoqo, sase sizabalaza umdlalo nommdlalo.”
FUNDA NALA: UBrooks akakufakile ekhanda ukufaniswa kwakhe noSteve Piernaar
IChampions League kulo nyaka izoba umlenze owodwa nokuchaza ukuthi iChiefs inethuba elilodwa nje vo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ibuya nayo indebe eMorocco.
“Lo mdlalo sekukhulunywe kakhulu ngawo ikakhulukazi ngoba i-Al Ahly iqeqeshwa uPitso Mosimane, odabuka kuleli.
“Emdlalweni ebesibhekene kuwo neSimba ngicabanga ukuthi sidlale kahle kakhulu, sasebenzisa amathuba ethu,” kuphetha uCastro. Kuzomele ifike nalowo mqondo iChiefs eMorocco ngempelasonto ukuze izibeke ethubeni lokubuya nendebe.