Ingaba iPirates inawo amandla okubhukuqa iMamelodi Sundowns?

Emva kweminyaka esixhenxe ilandelelana kugqugqisa iMamelodi Sundowns, umbuzo uthi: ingaba leliphi na iqela elingaphelisa ubunganga bayo? Kunzima ukuwuphendula umbuzo onje ngokuqiniseka ngoba iSundowns iphumelele indebe yeDStv Premiership ishiyekelwe yinqwaba yemidlalo engekayidlali kwisizini egqithileyo.

Onke amaqela aqala isizini ejonge ukushenxisa yona ngoba yiyo umqobo osendleleni weqela ngalinye elidlala kwiBetway Premiership. Iqela elisondeleyo nelibonwa ngabantu abaninzi njengelingazama ukulwa yi’Orlando Pirates. Ibikhe yazama kunyaka ophelileyo – kodwa yawa endleni ngenxa yokugqwidiza kwayo.

Emva kokuvala isizini ineendebe ezimbini nokubuyela kwiCAF Champions League kwisizini egqithileyo – uJose Riveiro uthi kunyanzelekile iPirates izame ukufumana eyona ndebe yexabiso ebholeni ekhatywayo yaseMzantsi Afrika. IPirates inethuba lokuqala ngendlela ebhetele ngoba seyiqhuba kakuhle kwiMTN8 Cup esecicini lokuyiphumelela ityeli lesithathu elandelelana phantsi kukaJose Riveiro.

Ukudlala kakuhle kwePirates kuyinika ithuba elihle ngoba iSundowns isavuswa ngokutsha emva kokubethwa kabini yiStellenbosch FC eyikhuphe kwiMTN8 ehamba nezigidi ezilishumi zerandi kulo unyaka. Ethetha emva kwendibabo yePSL ebiseGoli, umqeqeshi wePirates uthe kunyanzelekile iqela lakhe lilwe. “Luxanduva esinalo ukulwela indebe yeBetway Premiership.

“Siphakathi futhi kunyanzelekile ukuba sibonise singabadlali nabaqeqeshi ukuba sifuna ukuyilwela indebe,” utshilo uRiveiro. Rhoqo xa kuqala isizini, iPirates inomkhwa ombi wokuthembisa – kodwa ilahle amanqaku nxa iphakathi. “Kweli tyeli lesithathu, yindebe yeBetway Premiership into esiyifunayo. Siza kuzama kwakho sinethemba lokuvelisa iziphumo eziphucukileyo.

“Sazi kakuhle ukuba umsebenza uza kuba nzima. Kubalulekile ukuqala kakuhle isizini ngokufanayo nakwiisizini ezigqithileyo,” utshilo uRiveiro owongeze ngelithi kuza kuba nzima ukuqokelela amanqaku kule sizini. IPirates iza kwamkela iChippa United emdlalweni wokuqala ngoLwesithathu weveki ezayo e’Orlando Stadium, eSoweto.