I-KAIZER Chiefs imi phambi kwengqayizivele yethuba lokungena ngomnyango wangemuva emiqhudelwaneni yeCaf ngesizini ezayo kodwa ukuze kwenzeke lokhu kufanele ihlule iMamelodi Sundowns esaphumelele ukuyiguqisa kanye emidlalweni engu-15 edlule ababhekane kuyona ngokwahlukana kwemiqhudelwano.
Amakhosi asekhale ngaphansi kwiSundowns kwemine edlule ilandelana emiqhudelwaneni eyahlukene, amelwe ukuphendula amatafula kowandulela owamanqamu weNedbank Cup ngeSonto ngo-6 ntambama, eLoftus Versveld, ePitoli.
Iwini yaMakhosi izobe iqinisekisa indawo yawo kwiCaf Confederation Cup ngesizini ezayo kodwa i-Orlando Pirates kumele inqobe kwiMarumo Gallants edlala nayo kofanayo weKe Yona ngalo belu iSonto.
Yize kusobala ukuthi kungabathokozisa abaxhasi ukubhekana kwezinkunzi zaseSoweto kowamanqamu weNedbank kodwa uNasreddine Nabi opheka iChiefs uyena oyobe uhlabane ukubedlula bonke.
Njengoba kubukeka sengathi iPirates izoqeda endaweni yokuqala kumbe eyesibili kwi-log yeBetway Premiership kucacile ukuthi izokhetha ukubuyela kwiCaf Champions League okuzobe kuvulela ithuba Amakhosi kwiConfed.
Kuzwakala kulula kodwa umqansa okufanele ugitshelwe yiChiefs ngaphambi kokufika lapho uyesabeka kwazise neSundowns isibheke ngabomvu lesi sicoco esihlwithwe yiPirates ngemizuzu yokugcina ngesizini edlule.
Ngesikhathi ekhuluma nabezindaba abenesithangami nabo izolo ntambama, eSandton, eGoli, uNabi uthe uyaqonda ukuthi lo mdlalo umqoka kangakanani.
“Umdlalo weSundowns umqoka kithina sonke ngendlela efanayo ngakho-ke sigqugquzelekile ukuqopha umlando omusha sizenzela thina ngokunjalo neqembu,” kusho uNabi.
“Sesiside isikhathi singaqukuli ngakho-ke leli yithuba elisobala lokuqeda indlala yeminyaka yeqembu kodwa okuseqhulwini ukudlula kwiSundowns kuqala esingangabazi ukuthi kuzoba lukhuni satshe."
Umqansa obhekene noNabi ukuthola amaqhinga azodida umqeqeshi weSundowns, uMiguel Cardoso, neqembu lakhe elisahlulwe kathathu emidlalweni engu-24 selokhu athatha izintambo ngoDisemba nyakenye.
Yize isiyinqobe kathathu iChiefs kule sizini, kanye ngaphansi kukaCardoso, lo mqeqeshi ulindele umdlalo onzima ngeSonto.
“Njengoba sesifike ngasekugcineni kwalo mqhudelwano kusobala ukuthi nezinga lezitha liyakhuphuka. Sizobe sidlala nelinye lamaqembu anomlando omuhle eNingizimu Afrika, iqembu eliyingozi okumele silibhekisise kakhulu,” kusho uCardoso.
"Sidlalile nabo koweligi futhi kwakuwumdlalo onzima. Sidinga ukuthi sibe sezingeni eliphezulu uma sifuna ukunqoba lo mdlalo siye kowamanqamu, nokuyinto esifuna ukuyenza," kuphetha yena.