'IBay isikulungele ukuqala imidlalo yeligi'
UTHULANI Gumede weRichards Bay FC, ungomunye wabadlali baleli qembu okufanele bavuke bazithathe bathwale iqembu emdlalweni wokuvula isizini weBetway Premiership neMarumo Gallants ngoMgqibelo
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UMQEQESHI weRichards Bay FC, uRonnie Gabriel, akakuthathi njengenhlekelele ukunenebulwa kwabo yiMamelodi Sundowns kowama-quarterfinal eMTN 8 njengoba ekholwa wukuthi ezakhe ziwulungele umdlalo wokuvula isizini ka-2025/26 yeBetway Premiership eqala ngempelasonto.
Sekungumlando ukuthi iBay ithole isibhaxu sika 4-0 kwiSundowns koweMTN 8 ngeSonto eLucas Moripe Stadium, e-Atteridgeville.
Nokho leli qembu laKwaZulu-Natal ebelidlala okokuqala kwiMTN 8 kusukela lakhushulelwa kwiPremiership kumasizini amathathu adlule, kuzodingeka lisidlulise ngokushesha isibhaxu seSundowns ligxile emalungiselelweni omdlalo walo wePremiership wokuvula isizini elizowudlala neMarumo Gallants, eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza, ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama.
“Kukhona esikufundile ngokuhlulwa kwethu yiSundowns ebingcono kakhulu kunathi ngomdlalo, sakwazi nokubona amaphutha ngaphambi komdlalo wethu wokuqala wesizini. Sinike nabadlali abaningi ithuba, ikakhulukazi ngesiwombe sesibili ngoba emiqondweni yethu bese sinakho ukuthi sesilungiselela umdlalo olandelayo ngempelasonto,” kusho uGabriel oqeqesha ngokubambisana noPapi Zothwane.
Yize iBay ilahlekelwe ngabanye babadlali bayo abamqoka, uYanela Mbuthuma noNkosikhona Ndaba abajoyine i-Orlando Pirates ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini, isayinise abanye abanamava okubalwa kubona uGabadinho Mhango, uThabani Zuke noLindokuhle Mtshali.
“Yize sihanjelwe ngabadlali abamqoka uMbuthuma obengumgadli wethu omqoka osishayele amagoli amqoka ngesizini edlule, noNdaba obengumdlali wethu wasemuva kwesokunxele, kodwa ngikholwa wukuthi sikwazile ukubathola abadlali abazovala izikhala zabo. Umgadli onjengoGabadinho Mhango ngumgadli onamava, esikholwa wukuthi angakwazi ukusishayela amagoli njengoba bekwenza uMbuthuma. Nesikhala sikaNdaba ngikholwa wukuthi sisivalile ngoSbani (Mntungwa) ongumdlali omuhle wasemuva ohlangothini lwesokunxele.
Ngakho-ke ngabadlali esibasayinisile sikwazile ukuvala izikhala zalabo abahambile. Sikulungele ukudlala umdlalo wethu wokuqala wePremiership,” kuqhuba uGabriel.
Izolo, iBay imemezele ukuthi izodlala neGallants eMlaza ngoba inkundla evulwe ngeKZN Premier's Cup, uMhlathuze Sports Complex, ayikho esimweni esihle okwamanje kwazise utshani bonakele ngesikhathi kudlalwa lo mqhudelwano. Iqinisekise ukuthi izodlala kuyona uma isibhekene neChippa United ngo-Agasti 26.