Mabini amaqela amakhulu ashiyekileyo kwiNedbank Cup nalindeleke ayiphumelele ekugqibeleni. Loo maqela yiMamelodi Sundowns ne-Orlando Pirates. Ngelishwa labathandi bebhola, awakwazi ukuya emdlalweni wokugqibela omabini. Elinye kufuneka liphume esibayeni xa edibana eLoftus Stadium ngo-18:00 namhlanje.
Amasandawana aya emdlalweni efuna ukukhusela ubunganga bawo njengeentshatsheli ezikhuselayo. Kanti yona iPirates ifuna indebe yesibini kule sizini emva kokuphakamisa indebe yeMTN8 ekupheleni kuka-2019 ukuze kubuye isidima sayo ebholeni yaseMzantsi Afrika.
Ezimnyama zinyathelela phezulu emva kokungcwaba iAl Ahly Benghazi ngo’3-0 emdlalweni CAF Confederation Cup kwiveki ephelileyo. Okucace gca kukuba uJosef Zinbauer ulolekile yiMTN8 ngoba uthe ufuna ezinye iindebe emva komdlalo weveki ephelileyo.
UKapteni weBucs, uHappy Jele, ubethe ngenqindi phantsi ngelithi ngeke ihambe lula kubo iSundowns. Njengomdlali onamava, kulindeleke uJele abe ngomnye wabadlali abaza kwenza umahluko xa iPirates izama ukugqitha kwiSundowns eyingozi. “Yimidlalo nje mibini, sifike kowokugqibela. Lo nto iyakhuthaza,” utshilo uJele, ethetha namajelo eendaba kule veki.
“Kodwa into ebalulekileyo ngoku kukubeka iingqondo zethu emdlalweni weNedbank Cup. Ndiqinisekile, siza kuya kumjikelo olandelayo ukuba sizimisele. Umdlalo awukho ngempindezelo, iingqondo zethu sizibeke emdlalweni kuphela. Siyayihlonipha iSundowns ngoba liqela elikhulu – kodwa sifuna impumelelo emdlalweni,” utshilo uJele.
Amasandawana akhuthazekile emva kokubetha iChippa United ngo’2-1 emdlalweni weDStv Premiership ekuqaleni kweveki. UMokwena uthe umdlalo ophakathi kweDowns neBucs ngowona mkhulu kwiNedbank. “Andizami ukudelela amanye aamaqela. Umdlalo weSundowns nePirates ngowona mkhulu. Liqela elidlala kakuhle kakhulu iPirates. Iyiphucule indlela edlala ngayo kwaye isantya sesinye sezixhobo zayo,” utshilo uMokwena.
Africa title the first of many for Khayelitsha’s Mgabi