Umqeqeshi we-Orlando Pirates uncume olukabhulankethe emva kokuba iqela lakhe lifumene amanqaku amathathu. UJose Riveiro uvakalise uchulumanco lwakhe emva kokuba iPirates ibethe iTS Galaxy ngamagowuli amabini eqandeni emdlalweni weDStv Premiership obubanjelwe e-Orlando Stadium emalanga izolo. EzikaMagebhula zizuze amanqaku apheleleyo emva kokuba bezikhe zakhubeka emdlalweni ezibethwe kuwo yiMaritzburg United ngegowuli elinye kwiveki ephelileyo. Amagowuli eziphumelele ngawo ezikaMagebhula afakwe yifolosi, uZakhele Lepasa. Phambi komdlalo wayizolo, impumelelo ibibaluleke kakhulu kwiPirates ngoba kuyo kubaluleke kakhulu ukuhlala phakathi kwamaqela aphezulu kwiDStv Premiership noxa isizini isaqala.
“Khaw’fane ucinge indlela ebekukubi ngayo ukubethwa yiMaritzburg kwiveki ephelileyo. Indlela iqela lethu elidlale ngayo namhlanje iyamangalisa kakhulu,” utshilo uRiveiro emva komdlalo wayizolo eSoweto. Ufanele umqeqeshi ukuchulumanca ngoba ukubhungca kwiTS Galaxy esokolisayo yinto enkulu kwiqela lakhe asazama ukulidibanisa. “Kumalungiselelo wethu, besigxile ekufumaneni isingqi sethu qha ngoba besingafuni ukuthetha ngezizathu ezabangela sibethwe yeMaritzburg. Sidlale kakuhle namhlanje futhi besidlalela ukufumana iziphumo ezincumisayo,” utshilo uRiveiro emva kokuba iqela lakhe lithe ngcu kwindawo yokuqala eliye lasuswa yiMamelodi Sundowns eye yaphumelela ebusuku izolo.
“Eyona nto esisoloko sithetha ngayo kukunqaba kwamagowuli. Ndiyavuma, siyasokola kwicala lokufaka amagowuli emidlalweni – kodwa ayisixhalabisi lo nto. Ukuba siqhubela phambili nokudala amagowuli, amagowuli aza kuvela njengalo umdlalo wanamhlanje,” utshilo umqeqeshi ovumileyo ukuba iPirates ike yasokola ukudlala ngendlela yayo ngenxa yokuhlasela kwayo iTS Galaxy. Kweminye imidlalo: iSundowns ibethe iGolden Arrows ngo’2-1, iStellenbosch ibethe iSwallows ngo’2-1, iChippa United ibethe AmaZulu ngo’2-1 yona iSuperSport United ibethe iMaritzburg ngo’2-1 ngoLwesihlanu. Mnye umdlalo weDStv Premiership namhlanje, uphakathi kweMarumo Gallants neKaizer Chiefs ngentsimbi yesithathu emalanga eRoyal Bafokeng Stadium.
IPirates idibana neentanga zayo namhlanje kwiMTN8, utsho uSage Stephens!