Elinye lamaqela amakhulu eMzantsi Afrika, i-Orlando Pirates, lisecicini lokwenza imbali ebholeni ekhatywayo kwizwekazi le-Afrika. Izolo iPirates intingele kwilizwe laseNigeria – apho liza kudibana khona neqela laseMorocco ekuthiwa yiR.S.B. Berkane emdlalweni weCAF Confederation Cup oza kube useGodswill Akpabio Stadium ngentsimbi yethoba ngomso (Lwesihlanu). Ezimnyama zifikelele kwisigaba sokugqibela seConfederation Cup emva kokoyisa iAl Ahly Tripoli ngo’2-1 xa kudityaniswe iziphumo zemidlalo emibini. Yona iBerkane yoyise iT.P. Mazembe emdlalweni ogqithileyo. Emva kokungaqhubi kakuhle emidlalweni yeDStv Premiership, iBucs ifuna ukuphumelela indebe yeConfederation ukuze ixolise iintliziyo zabalandeli abadinwe kukuncithwa ngabalandeli bamanye amaqela.
Kwilinge layo lokuqala, iPirates yabethwa ngo’2-1 liqela laseTunisia ekuthiwa yiEtoile du Sahel ngo-2015. Kanti yona iR.S.B. Berkane ibethwe emidlalweni yokugqibela yeConfederation Cup emva kwePirates. Omnye wabadlali abenze indima ebonakalayo emidlalweni yeConfederation Cup, iRichard Ofori, ukholelwa kwelokuba iPirates iza kulwela ukuza nendebe eMzantso Afrika emva komdlalo ose-Uyo. “Uhambo lwethu lweConfederation Cup lube luhle. Ngoku sifikelele kwesona sigaba esibalulekileyo emva kokunyuka sisehla ixeha elide,” utshilo u-Ofori. Ukuba iPirates ibuye nendebe, lo nto iyathetha ukuthi liqela lokuqala eliphumelel iConfederation Cup neChampions League ebholeni yaseMzantsi Afrika.
“Iingqondo zethu kufuneka sizibeke emdlalweni esiya kuwo. Into ebalulekileyo kuthi ngoku kukubuya nendebe iphakamise igama loMzantsi Afrika. Akukho nto ingako esingayithetha ngoku, into efunekayo kukuphumelela indebe,” uvale ngaloo mazwi unozinti wePirate. Kwelinye icala, uFadlu Davids ubancomile abadlali nogxa wakhe, uMandla Ncikazi, ngokwenza umsebenzi oncomekayo kwiConfederation Cup. “Kuyasivuyisa ukudlalelwa komdlalo eNigeria. Ukuba umdlalo ubuseMorocco, ngesithetha ezinye iilwimi ngoku. Ndifuna ukucela abalandeli bebhola eNigeria baxhase thina nonyana wabo wolahleko uNdah xa ebuyela ekhaya,” utshilo uDavids.
USteve Barker umchaze njengeqhawe uRayners ongcwabe iPolokwane City