Umqeqeshi we’Orlando Pirates, uJose Riveiro, uvumile ukuba iqela lakhe liza kunyuka umnqantsa ngempelaveki. Oku ukuthethe phambi komdlalo omkhulu weMTN8 Cup oza kube uphakathi kwePirates neStellenbosch FC. Umdlalo uza kudlalelwa eMoses Mabhida Stadium ekulindeleke ukuba igcwale ithi qhu emva kokuthengwa kwamatikiti onke kwiiveki ezigqithileyo. Ezimnyama zisekhondweni lokuphakamisa iMTN8 Cup okwesithathu – kodwa kufuneka zibethe iStellenbosch.
Umdlalo wangempelaveki uza kunika umdla ngoba iStellenbosch iya emdlalweni ifuna ukuziphindezela kwiPirates eyayiwisa phambi kokubetha iMamelodi Sundowns emdlalweni wokugqibela eThekwini kunyaka ophelileyo. URiveiro uya emdlalweni obaluleke kakhulu kwiqela lakhe enalo ngcingane engqondweni yakhe. “Kunyanzelekile ukuba siyamkele iStellenbosch ngendlela edlala ngayo,” utshilo uRiveiro oqweba amaqhinga okufamana enye indebe ebalulekileyo kwiPSL.
“Sijongene neStellenbosch emidlalweni emine kwisizini egqithileyo. Emidlalweni yeendebe nakweyeDStv Premiership. Siyibethe kanye, nakhona kwasithatha imizuzu engaphezulu kwamashumi alithoba ukuze siyibethe. Kweminye khange sikwazi ukuyibetha,” utshilo uRiveiro ovumileyo ukuba kunzima ukudlala neStellenbosch elishuca. Nakubeni iqela laseNtshona Koloni lithengise abadlali abaliqela ekupheleni kwesizini – kodwa kusekho abadlali abafana noDevin Titus, Andre de Jong noJayden Adams.
Ngaphezulu kwabo badlali kukho abadlali abatshisa bhe abaquka uSanele Barns osuka kwiRichards Bay noBradley Mojela osuka kwiTS Galaxy etsala nzima kule sizini ngoku. “Siyawazi amandla weefolosi ezifana noBarns, uDe Jong noMojela. Ukuba sikwazile ukubakhonkxa, sakufumana ithuba lokuphumelela umdlalo. Ngeke singadlali umdlalo wethu ngenxa yalo nto. Ingozi iza kuhlala ikhona – kodwa akufuneki sixhamazele xa isiya phambili ngesantya. Sinawo amandla okuyincothula ubuhlungu iStellenbosch,” utshilo uRiveiro.
Lumka Oliphant: ‘Yekani utywala’