Nangona iBloemfontein isiya emdlalweni wokugqibela weMTN8 okokuqala – kodwa uNdumiso Mabena uthi uqinisekile, iqela lakhe lingayibetha i-Orlando Pirates. Ngentsimbi yesithandathu emalanga ngomso, iCeltic iza kuswantsulisana nePirates emdlalweni wokugqibela weMTN8 ekulindeleke uvuthe eMoses Mabhida Stadium. Isiwelele sidlule kwiMamelodi Sundowns nakwiintshatsheli zonyaka ophelileyo, iSuperSport United, phambi kokuza emdlalweni wokugqibela – kanti yona iPirates yavuthulula iKaizer Chiefs.
Lo nto ibonisa ngokucacileyo iinjongo zawo amaqela omabini. Nangona iCeltic yakhe yazizo iintshatsheli zeSAA Super 8 – kodwa zange iyingcamle impumelelo ngoku iyiMTN8. Umdlalo wona uza kuba nzima ngoba nakwelayo icala iPirates ikufuna shushu ukuncumisa abalandeli bayo ngendebe emva kwendlala yeminyaka emithandathu. “Siza kuzilahlela nofele emdlalweni. Sifuna ukwenza imbali yeCeltic ibe ntle emva komdlalo. Ngomso siza kulwela ukuza nendebe eBloemfontein,” utshilo uMabena ethetha neentatheli.
UMabena, 33, ngomnye wabadlali ekuza kuthenjelwa kubo nguJohn Maduka. Emva kokubethwa kwayo iCeltic emdlalweni wokugqibela kwiNedbank Cup kwisizini ephelileyo, iya emdlalweni wangomso ifuna indebe nokuzibonakalisa okokuba nayo iliqela elinenjongo. Yena uMabena ngomnye wabadlali abambalwa abanamava emva kokudlala kwiMTN8 ngethuba esengumdlali wePirates nePlatinum Stars eyabhangayo.
“Uxanduva endalunikwa yiCeltic lundenza ndikhuthale futhi ndizithembe. Kudala ndidlala ibhola ekhatywayo. Amava endiwazuze emaqeleni endiwadlaleleyo phambi kokuza kwiCeltic andincedile kakhulu. Umqeqeshi endisebenza naye ngoku uyandinceda kakhulu emdlalweni wam. Singabadlali abasoloko bekulangazelela ukumamela nokufunda izinto ezintsha. Iyasinceda lo nto siziziqu incede neqela,” utshilo uMabena. Unozakuzaku weMTN8, uThabo September, uxelele I’solezwe lesiXhosa kutshanje okokuba umdlalo uza kuba nzima – kodwa ubona iCeltic iphumelela ngoba uxinizelelo lukwiPirates.
Kuvulwe isikolo esixabisa iR106-million KwaMaxhama