Kunzima ukubetha iAl Ahly izihlandlo zilandelela – kodwa iMamelodi Sundowns ithande ukuyenza lula into yokuyibetha ngamagowuli amahlanu. Iqela lakwaFaro lizikhotha amanxeba emva kokuvuthululwa yiSundowns ngemvula yamagowuli amahlanu kwamabini emdlalweni weCAF Champions League obushushu eLoftus Versfeld Stadium izolo emalanga. Amasandawana angene ezixelele ukuba kufuneka ayibeke endaweni yayo iAl Ahly kwamsinya emdlalweni. Emzuzwini wesine kwisigaba sokuqala, uMarcello Allende ufake igowuli lokuqala. Ziphendule iindendwe ngebhola efakwe nguMohamed Sherif emzuzwini weshumi elinesithathu. Anyuse umxakatho amakhwenkwe kaRhulani Mokwena kwakucaca ukuba iAl Ahly izimisele ukuzilwela emdlalweni. UThemba Zwane uyibeke phambini iSundowns ngegowuli elifake emzuzwini wamashumi amabini anane.
Phambi kokusongwa kwesigaba sokuqala, uTeboho Mokoena ubhakuzelise umnatha ngembumbulu yebhola ayikhabe kakuhle. Emva kweshumi elinesihlanu lemizuzu kwisigaba sesibini, uPercy Tau, ucuthe umsantsa phakathi kweqela lakhe neSundowns ngokufaka igowuli. Igowuli likaTau, owayefudula edlalelal iDowns, libanike ithemba abadlali be’Al Ahly abeze eMzantsi Afrika benxanelwe impumelelo enokubabuyisela phezulu kuGroup B. Emva kwakhe uPeter Shalulile ufake amagowuli amabini angcwabe iAl Ahly emdlalweni obalulekileyo ePitoli. Ngoku iSundowns ihleli endaweni yokuqala. Emva kwayo kukho iAl Hilal, iAl Ahly noCoton Sport. Ethetha emva komdlalo, uMokwena ubalumkisile abadlali bakhe ngelithi ukubetha kwabo iAl Ahly akuthethi kuthi sebefumene indebe.
“Ukuphumelela imidlalo enje yinto yethutyana. Kufuneka sibeke iingqondo zethu emidlalweni ezayo. Kuyingozi ukubetha iAl Ahly ngolu hlobo ngoba kungabaphazamisa aabadlali. Sisenemidlalo emibini elandelayo kwesi sigaba futhi isende nendlela esiza kuyihamba kwiCAF Champions League,” utshilo uMokwena emva komdlalo izolo ePitoli. Emidlalweni emibini eshiyekileyo, iAl Ahly kufuneka uyiphumelele ukuze ifumane ithuba lokuya phambili. Umqeqeshi wayo, uMarcel Koller, uthe uyathemba ukuba iSundowns iya kuyidlala ngendlela eqhelekileyo imidlalo elandelayo. “Sinethemba lokuba iSundowns iza kudlala ngendlela yayo yesiqhelo. Ndifuna ukuthi huntshu kuyo emva kokudlala kakuhle kwayo namhlanje. Isiqingatha sokuqala sethu besisibi kakhulu. Kube ngcono kwisigaba sesibini,” utshilo uKoller emva komdlao.
IPirates ibhale iincwadi zembali ngokutsha eMoses Mabhida Stadium!