Nangona isizini yeDStv Premiership isongwe kwiveki ephelileyo – kodwa asekhona amaqela alwela indawo yesibini ngenxa ye-Orlando Pirates engakwazanga ukugqibezela imidlalo yayo kuba ibinomdlalo weCAF Confederation Cup. Amaqela alwela ukufumana itikiti lokuya emidlalweni yeCAF: yiCape Town City ekwindawo yeibini, iRoyal AM nePirates enemidlalo emibini esandleni. Emva kokuphoxeka kwayo emdlalweni weConfederation Cup ebethwe kuwo kumapenela ngo’5-4 yiR.S. Berkane yaseMorocco ngoLwesihlanu weveki ephelileyo, iPirates ikhuphele umsindo wayo kwiMaritzburg United eyibethe ngo’4-1 emdlalweni weDStv Premiership obubanjelwe e-Orlando Stadium ebusuku ngoLwesibini wale veki.
Amanqaku amathathu ayigcine kwindawo yesithandathu iPirates – kodwa ukuba ingakwazi ukoyisa iRoyal AM neSuperSport United – lo nto ingenza isuse iCape Town City enamashumi amane anethoba kwindawo yesibini. Nangona iPirates ikwazile ukuncumisa abalandeli bayo ngokuphumelela ngamagowuli amaninzi, yena uMandla Ncikazi usenesikrokro ngenxa yamathuba angasetyenziswanga kakuhle emdlalweni. “Mandibabulele abadlali ngokuzuza kwabo impumelelo emva kwemeko esiphuma kuyo. Namhlanje ndibone iqela elizithembileyo kakhulu,” utshilo uNcikazi emva komdlalo.
“Into nje esandikhathazayo kukungakwazi ukusebenzisa kakuhle amathuba esiwafumanayo emidlalweni. Xa ujonga amathuba, bekufanele ukuba sifake amagowuli angaphezulu kwala siwafumeneyo. Kodwa ke eyona nto ebalulekileyo kukuba siqafumene amanqaku amathathu,” utshilo uNcikazi. Abadlali abaze namagowuli wePirates nguThembinkosi Lorch, uDeon Hotto, uKwame Peprah noKabelo Dlamini. “Indlela esiyilungiselela ngayo imidlalo yethu iyafana. Kulo umdlalo sikwazile ukusebenzisa amathuba bhetele kuneminye imidlalo, umahluko ulapho namhlanje,” uvale ngaloo mazwi uNcikazi. Ukuba iPirates ayikwazi ukubuyela kwimidlalo yeCAF, lo nto iya kuba lityheneba elibi kuNcikazi noFadlu Davids nangona bezamile kwiConferation Cup.
‘MayingabingooNopopi ooCeba, mabasebenze ekuhlaleni njengoko bonyulelwe oko’