Iphele njalo indlela yeSundowns kwiCAF Champions League!

Emva kokuphumelela kwakhona, iEsperance de Tunis izibekele indawo emdlalweni wokugqibela weCAF Champions League. Oku kwenzeke emva kokuba ibethe iSundowns ngo’1-0 emdlalweni omhle obuseLoftus Stadium namhlanje ebusuku.

Umdlalo ukhe waphazanyiswa yimvula ebineendudumo – kodwa iEsperance khange iphazamiseke emsebenzini wayo. Igowuli elifakwe kwisigaba sesibini lintywilisele iDowns engakwazanga ukubhaqa igowuli kwintaphane yamathuba ewafumeneyo.

Oyena mdlali onike iEsperance impumelelo ngunozinti oqinisekise ukuba uvala zonke iibhola zeDowns eziyingozi eLoftus Stadium ebigcwele Amasandawana. Iphele njalo indlela yeSundowns. Isiqalo somdlalo khange sihambe lula, ngoba amaqela omabini aye anyanzeleka ukuba adlale kusina imvula.

Nakubeni bekunjalo, umdlalo wona ebaleni ubumhle kakhulu. Amasandawana asukele kwimizuzu emihlanu yokuqala – kodwa abadlali bayo iEsperance bebevale onke amazibuko.

Unozinti we-Esperance. uAmmenila Mammiche, usebenze kwangoko emdlalweni ngelixa yena uRonwen Williams ebenesithukuthezi kwelakhe icale. Emva kwamashumi amabini emizuzu, usompempe uwunqumamisile umdlalo ngenxa yokuna kwemvula ebikhatshwa ziindundu ezinemibane.

Abadlali beSundowns baphinde bazama emva kokugqitha kwemvula. ULungu noShalulile bazamile ukukhabela iipali – kodwa akavuma unozinti we-Esperance ezipalini. Ngenxa yokonzakala, uMaseko uye waphuma yaze indawo yakhe yathathwa nguThapelo Morena.

Nakubeni iSundowns idlale kakuhle kwisigaba sokuqala – kodwa iEsperance ukwazile ukuzichitha iibhola zayo eziyingozi. Akukho nto engako eyenzileyo iEsperance ngaphandle kokukhusela igowuli elifumene emdlalweni wokuqala kowayo.

Ibuye ekhefini isenamandla okuhlasela iSundowns ebidinga igowuli lokulinganisa. Akukho nto ebhetele eyenzileyo ekuqaleni kwesigaba sesibini iEsperance de Tunis ngaphandle kokudlalela emva. Unozinti wayo uqhubele phambili nokuvala iibhola zeSundowns ezimbi.

Yenze impazamo yanye iSundowns, yabhakuzelisa umnatha iEsperance ebekudala ibonakala ukuba izingela igowuli lesiqinisekiso eLoftus Stadium ebigcwele. UThemba Zwane, uThembinkosi Lorch noAubrey Modiba bazamile ukudala amathuba njengesiqhelo – kodwa kwazima.

Iphumelele iEsperance ngo’1-0 emdlalweni wanamhlanje, ngokufanayo nomdlalo obuseTunisa kwiveki ephelileyo. Kwelinye icala, Al Ahly ibethe iTP Mazembe ngo’3-0. Okuya kuxolisa iDowns kukuba iza kuya kwiClub Wolrd Cup eza kuyinika isityhwentywe semali esiyibhiliyoni yerandi (R1-billion).