IPolokwane City iqinise indawo yayo kwiTop 8 ngokubetha iKaizer Chiefs ngo’1-0 kumdlalo obutshisa ePeter Mokaba Stadium ngale ntlwa yanamhlanje. Ukubethwa kweChiefs kuthetha ukuthi isecicini lokuvala isizini ingaphandle kwamaqela amathathu aphambili kwi-Absa Premier Soccer League athi afumane ithuba lokumela uMzantsi Afrika kwimidlalo yeCaf – elona themba ibinalo njengokuba ingafumananga nto nakule sizini. Umdlalo ubumhle kodwa Amakhosi akakwazanga ukuwasebenzisa amathuba awafumeneyo kwakhona kulo mdlalo nto leyo eshiye abalandeli bethe khunubembe.

IPolokwane City neKaizer Chiefs ziye kwixesha lokuphumla kungekho ebhalisileyo ebhodini emva kwesiqingatha sokuqala ebesisihle kakhulu. Amakhwenkwe kaSteve Komphela alawule umdlale zisuka umdlalo, anikelene ngebhola kakuhle kwiindawo eziyingozi kwaye akwazile ukudala amathuba ambalwa. UJoseph Molangoane ufumene ithuba elihle kwimizuzu yokuqala yomdlalo – kodwa ibhola yakhe iphume ecaleni kwepali. Esiswini iibhola bezityalwa nguGeorge Maluleka esebenzisana noKeagan Buchanan – obenethamsanqa lokuqala umdlalo namhlanje ngenxa yokungabikho kukaWillard Katsande. Kanti yona iCity ibityhala ngoRodney Mamagalela onamendu angumangaliso, uJabu Maluleke ongomnye wabadlali abakrelekrele kweli lizwe noWalter Musona.

Akukho nto ingako iPolokwane City ezenzele yona kumhlaba weChiefs – kodwa yona kwicala lasekunene ibixakekiswe nguRamahlwe Mphahlele – logama uGeorge Lebese obegoba iibhola ezintle ekhangela uBernard Parker obefakwe enkonkxeni nguTshepo Tema noThapelo Tshilo. Unozinti weChiefs, u-Itumeleng Khune, usebenze sekuphela ixesha kwisigaba sokuqala ngethuba ebetha ngeminwe ibhola ebikhatywe nguSalulani Phiri. Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, iChiefs bekufaneluba ifumene igowuli emva kokudlala kakuhle namathuba ewafumeneyo kwisiqingatha sokuqala.

Umgangatho womdlalo uye wanyuka kwisigaba sesibini. Amakhosi abonakele exhinele ukubhalisa ebhodini. UMalongoane noLebese bathathe apho bebeyeke khona kwisigaba sokuqala – kodwa bafike kuvaliwe ngabadlali beCity. Nangona iRise and Shine iyisokolisile nje iChiefs kwimidlalo edlulileyo, kulo umdlalo bekubonakala ngathi idlalela ukungabethwa qha. Lo nto inike iChiefs ithuba lokugcina ibhola kuyo ixesha elininzi. UKomphela ukhuphe uParker, endaweni yakhe ufake uGustavo Paez. Yona iPolokwane ikhuphe uMusona, yafaka uRendani Ndou.

Thapelo Tshilo of Polokwane City celebrates his goal with teammates during the Absa Premiership 2016/17 match between Polokwane City and Platinum Stars at the Old Peter Stadium, South Africa on 19 April 2017 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

URamagalela uthe gqolo eyikhathaza iChiefs phaya emva – kodwa nguNdou oyena uphantse wayonzakalisa, kuncede uKhune. UTshilo uvalele ibhola emnatheni ngomzuzu wamashumi asixhenxe anesine emva kwebhola ebisuka ekoneni. Konke oku kwenzeke ngenxa yefuthe elifakwe nguNdou ongene kwisigaba sesibini emdlalweni. Iquqe ibuyelela iPolokwane kumhlaba weChiefs ikhangela igowuli lesibini. URyan Moon ungene endaweni kaBuchanan, yena uWilliam Twala uthathe indawo kaMolangoane. Umdlalo uye waqina ngakumbi, omabini esiya phambili ingakumbi iPolokwane ephantse yafumana igowuli lesibini ngebhola ekhatywe nguMngomezulu kwimizuzu yokugqibela.

Polokwane City: Chigova, Semenya, Hlongwane, Tema, Tshilo, Phiri, Mngomezulu, Seabi, Ramagalela, Walter Musona (Rendani Ndou), Maluleke.

Kaizer Chiefs: Khune, Mphahlele, Mathoho, Gordinho, Masilela, Maluleka, Ekstein, Buchanan (Moon), Molangoane, Lebese, Parker (Paez).