IDowns ivuthulule iSuperSport United kwiMTN 8 Cup

Iintshatsheli ze-Absa Premier Soccer League, iMamelodi Sundowns, zibonisile ngokwenene ukuba zizimisele ukugqugqisa kwakhona nakule isizini kwibhola yoMzantsi Afrika ngethuba zibetha iSuperSport United ngo’3-1 kumdlalo weMTN 8 Cup obukwizinga eliphezulu emalanga namhlanje eLoftus Stadium.

Phambi kokuqala komdlalo kubekho ukubangisana phakathi kwala maqela asePitoli ngendawo yokuhla. Iye yasunjululwa kodwa lo nto phambi kwentsimbi yesithathu. UPitso Mosimane, osuka edabini leCaf Champions League, eNigeria, wenze iinguqu kwiqela lakhe. UKeagan Dolly, obengayanga eNigeria, uqale umdlalo, uRicardo Nascimento, ofikayo kwiiBrazillians, ungene endaweni kaThabo Ntethe kunye noSibusiso Vilakazi ofumene umdlalo wakhe okokuqala njengomdlali weSundowns. Kwelinye icala uMorgan Gould ufumene udlalele iSuperSport United okokuqala emva kokukhulwa yiKaizer Chiefs ekupheleni kwesizini ka’2015/16.

Nangona lo mdlalo udlalelwe kwingqatsini yelanga ePitoli – kodwa lo nto ayiwatyhafisanga la maqela omabini ngoba awuqale ngezinga eliphezulu umdlalo njengoko bekulindelekile.

NguDean Furman onkqonkqoze kuqala kwiimpondo zeDowns kumzuzu wesithandathu umdlalo uqalile kodwa ufike uDennis Onyango uhleli.

Iquqe ibuyelela okwezulu laseMthatha, iSuperSport United, kumhlaba kanozinti weSundowns – kwakhona u-Onyango uyithintela ibhola yaMatsatsantsa emva kwempazamo eyenziwe nguSiyanda Zwane ngomzuzu weshumi elinesine.

Zitshintshile izinto ngomzuzu weshumi elinesixhenxe ngethuba uWayne Arendse evalela emnatheni igowuli lokuqala leSundowns. Le bhola ingene emva kokubhutyuza [ibhola ebisuka ekoneni] ngabadlali beSuperSport United. Aqhubele phambili la maqela ngokuhlaselana. UPercy Tau [ongafane awuqale umdlalo], uKeagan Dolly, uLeonardo Castro noKhama Billiat bazamile ukwenza izinto abaqhele ukuzenza emidlalweni – kodwa u-Onesimor Bhasera, Clayton Daniels noGould bazamile ukunqanda ezo nzame zabo.

Kungene ngomzuzu wamashumi amane nanye isiququ uKingston Nkatha endaweni kaBradley Gobler okhutshwe ngenxa yokwenzakala. UNkatha uvalele emnatheni ngentloko igowuli lokulinganisa ngozuzu wamashumi amane anesine xa kanye kusondela ixesha lokuphumla. Lo kaNkatha ufumene ibhola egotywe ngobuchule nguJeremy Brockie ekunxele, wayingquba ngentloko wazolula wancama u-Onyango.

Athathe apho ebeyeke khona kwisiqingatha sesibini omabini la maqela kwisiqingatha sokuqala. Kwesi isigaba uBilliat noTau bebeyiphethe mantsantsa uSuperSport United phaya emva. URonwen Williams uvale ibhola enzima ekhatywe nguVilakazi ayifumene ekunxele kuTau. Khange kube kudala walibeka emnatheni igowuli uHlompho Kekana, ibhola yakhe icwibile okanye irhece uVilakazi endleleni eya emnatheni. Iphindile kwakhona iDowns ngomzuzu wamashumi asixhenxe anesithoba ngonyawo lukaBilliat ophithizelise amadoda emhlabeni kanozinti kwanzima.

Liwuqale kakuhle kakhulu umdlalo iqela likaStuart Baxter futhi nangethuba lihamba emva khange linikezele – kodwa ithe iSundowns yakufaka elinye igowuli aqala ukwehla amandla wabadlali bakhe.

Kanti yona iSundowns ibuye inamandla kwisiqingatha sesibini futhi kubonakala ukuba abadlali bayo badlala benenjongo yokuphumelela umdlalo. Ngoku iMamelodi Sundowns izakuhlangana neChippa United eNelson Mandela Bay Stadium kumdlalo olandelayo, yona iBidvest Wits yamkela iCape Town City komnye umdlalo eBidvest Stadium.