Umbandela waMaZulu ngesizini entsha

PHEZU kokuthi abaphathi baMaZulu befisa ukuthi iqembu labo libe sembangweni wokunqoba isicoco seligi kodwa akuwona umbandela abawubekele umqeqeshi, uCavin “Mthakathi” Johnson, obekelwe umgomo wamaphuzu angu-45 azoqinisekisa indawo kwiTop 8.

Lokhu kuvezwe yimenenja jikelele yoSuthu, uLunga Sokhela, ebiphawula ngomgomo abawubekele umqeqeshi njengoba esekwisizini yakhe yesithathu ekuleli qembu.

“Kufanele sibe neqiniso. Ngeke senze ihaba ngokuthi sifuna ukunqoba isicoco seligi.

“Khona singajabula ukuthi sibe yiqembu eliqhudelana ngokulinganayo nabangayo. “Esikudingayo ukubona iqembu lisheshe lifinyelela eduze kwamaphuzu awu-24 ngaphambi kokuthi kuphele isigaba sokuqala semidlalo yePremiership.

“Thina sikholelwa ekutheni abadlali sinabo abangakwazi ukuthi basitholele amaphuzu awu-45 nokuthi bahambe ibanga elide kwiTelkom Knockout neNedbank Cup.

“Ngesizini edlule sisuke sakhungathwa yizinkinga ezisehlele nesingeke sakhomba muntu ngenjumbane ngazo. Ngeke sibe sesibeka umbandela oyihaba,”kusho uSokhela.

Uveze ukuthi bafuna amalungiselelo okuqala kwesizini entsha abe sezingeni eliphezulu ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bayiqala ngegiya eliphezulu imidlalo yePremiership.

“Sithe umqeqeshi akanikeze bonke abadlali ithuba lokuthi baziveze njengoba kukhona abadlali beMDC (Multichoice Diski Challenge) abakhushulelwe eqenjini elikhulu abanjengo Sibusiso Maluleke, Sandile Khumalo, Charlie Hlalele noNtuthuko Madela okumele banikezwe ithuba ukuze basikhombise ukuthi basiphatheleni njengoba sibonile kwenzeka kuSphe Maduna.

“Njengamanje uyabanikeza ithuba ejimini nabo bakhombisa ukuzikhandla,”kusho uSokhela.

Amalungiselelo esizini entsha AmaZulu azolwa ngaphandle kukaMarc van Heerden, omunye wabadlali abanamava abebeyingxenye yeqembu laseThekwini.

UVan Heerden (31) akwaziwa ukuthi ubheke kuphi ngempela kodwa maningi amathuba okuthi ubuyela ngakubo eGauteng kwazise udabuka eBenoni. Leli nxele bese kuyihlandla lesibili lidlala kuMaZulu. Like lathi qu kwiChippa United nakwi-Orlando Pirates.

Usuthu luvula isizini ezayo neBidvest Wits eKing Zwelithini, eMlaza ngo-Agasti 3.

Imidlalo yokuqala yePremiership:

Ngo-Agasti 3:

Stellenbosch v Chippa, eKapa ngo-3pm; Sundowns v SuperSport Utd, e-Atteridgeville ngo-3pm; Baroka v CT City, ePolokwane ngo-3pm; Orlando Pirates v Bloem Celtic, e-Orlando ngo-3pm; AmaZulu v Wits, eMlaza ngo-8.15pm.

Ngo-Agasti 4:

Leopards v Polokwane, eThohoyandou ngo-3pm; H’Park v Kaizer Chiefs, eMakhulong ngo-3pm; Golden Arrows v Maritzburg Utd, eClermont ngo-3pm.