“Singayibetha iMamelodi Sundowns” – utsho uSaleng oyinkathazo

Umdlali we-Orlando Pirates ohlaselayo, uMonnapule Saleng, ukholelwa kwelokuba iqela lakhe lingaphumelela ngomso ePolokwane. IPirates iza kuvana amandla neMamelodi Sundowns emdlalweni weMTN8 ojongwe ngamehlo abomvu ngomso ePeter Mokaba Stadium ngentsimbi yesithathu emalanga. Emdlalweni wokuqala e-Orlando Stadium kwiiveki ezigqithileyo, zange kubekho qela eliphumelelayo. Abalandeli bamaqela omabini bathenge amatikiti omdlalo wangomso (Mgqibelo) aphela. Kunyanzelekile kubekho eliphumelelayo iqela ngomso eliza kuya emdlalweni wokugqibela eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngomhla wesihlanu kwinyanga yeNkanga.

Emdlalweni wokuqala weMTN8, uSaleng waba ngumdlali oqatshelweyo ngabantu abaninzi ngenxa yemigudu emihle awayenzayo nokudlala ngo-Andile Jali. Nakulo umdlalo, amehlo aza kubekwa kuye, ngakumbi emva kokunceda iPirates ebethe iGolden Arrows emdlalweni weDStv Premiership obukwiintsuku ezigqithileyo. Nangona iPirates ithembisa futhi idlala umdlalo omhle ngamanye amaxesha – kodwa eyona ngxaki yayo ebonakalayo kukungwazi ukufaka amagowuli emnatheni. Yilo nto ebangele abadlali abafana noSaleng baluthathele kubo uxanduva lokuqinisekisa ukuba iPirates iyaphumelela. “Umdlalo wethu mhle – kodwa into embi kukuphosa amathuba okufaka amagowuli emidlalweni. Singayibetha iSundowns ukuba singafaka amagowuli xa sidlala nayo,” utshilo uSaleng emva kokuswantsulisa Abafana Bes’thende kule veki. USaleng uncome abaqeqeshi bakhe abamkhuthazayo ejimini.

Omnye umdlali abalandeli abaza kubeka ithemba labo kuye nguKermit Erasmus – oluncedo kakhulu kuSaleng. Nakule iveki, nguErasmus odale ithuba elijikwe yaligowuli nguSaleng. “Kulo mdlalo, bendiyalelwe ukuba ndidlalele kufutshane noKermit ngoba uyakwazi ukuyibamba ibhola nokuyityala ezithubeni ezivelayo. Amagowuli ndikwazile ukuwafaka ngoba bendikufutshane kuye,” utshilo uSaleng emva komdlalo kule veki. Omabini amaqela aya emdlalweni ekhuthazekile emva kokuphumelela imidlalo yayo kule veki. URiveiro ukhangela uloyiso ePolokwane emva kokubethwa yiSekhukhune United kwiiveki ezigqithileyo. Komnye umdlalo weMTN8, AmaZulu aza kudibana neKaizer Chiefs emdlalweni oseMoses Mabhida Stadium ngeCawe emalanga ngecala emva kwentsimbi yesithathu.