KUZOPHINDE kuhlangane izimbangi ezinkulu ebholeni lase-Afrika njengoba iMamelodi izodudulana ne-Al Ahly emlenzeni wokuqala weCaf Champions League eLoftus Versfeld ngoMgqibelo, ngehora lesithathu ntambama.
Lo mbango wala maqembu usuqine kakhulu selokhu ahlangana okokuqala kowamanqamu weChampions League ngo-2001. Ngalowo nyaka, amaBrazilian, ayeqala ukungena kowamanqamu kulo mqhudelwano, afundiswa isifundo yileli qembu elinomlando omude ebholeni laleli zwekazi.
Umlenze wokuqala owawuseLoftus Versfeld waphela ngo 1-1, i-Al Ahly yayisoconga ngo 3-0 iSundowns eCairo.
Baphinde bahlangana kowokuhlunga ngo-2007, umdlalo owawuseNingizimu Afrika waphela zibambene ngo 2-2, ngaphambi kokuthi i-Al Ahly inqobe ngo 2-0 enkundleni yayo.
Kwathatha isikhathi ukuthi baphinde babhekane futhi ngo-2019, okwenzeka kuma-quarterfinal, iqembu lasePitoli selinayo inkanyezi elayithola liba ngompetha base-Afrika okokuqala ngqa ngo-2016.
Kulokhu amaSandawana ayithela ngehlazo lika 5-0 iRed Devils ePitoli, kwathi noma isiphendula ngo 1-0 ekhaya kwasho ukuthi umonakalo wawusuwenzekile.
Kusukela lapho, bese kuyinhlalayenza ukuthi azoqhathwa kulo mqhudelwano. Kuma-quarterfinal ango-2020, kwadlula iqembu lase-Egypt ngokunqoba ngo 2-0 ekhaya, kwathi owasePitoli waphela zibambene ngo 1-1.
UPitso Mosimane, owayeseqeqeshe iSundowns iminyaka, wabe eseyishiya wayojoyina i-Al Ahly, nokuyinto eyayingalindelekile ngaleso sikhathi.
Akuthathanga sikhathi ukuthi abhekane neqembu lakhe lakudala, eqhathwa namaBrazilian kuma-quarterfinal ngo-2021. Nakulokhu, i-Ahly yanqoba ngo 2-0 emlenzeni wokuqala eCairo, baphinde babambana ngo 1-1 ePitoli.
Akugcinanga lapho, ngo-2022 nango-2023 la maqembu afakwa eqoqweni elilodwa kwiChampions League. Ngo-2022, iSundowns eyayisiphekwa nguManqoba Mgqithi noRhulani Mokwena, yaguqisa i-Ahly ngo 1-0 eCairo nasePitoli, yakwazi ukuziphindiselela kuMosimane.
Ngo-2023, uMokwena wayesezibambe yezwa izintambo ngesikhathi idlala ngokulingana ngo 2-2 eCairo ne-Ahly eyayisicijwa umqeqeshi waseSwitzerland, uMarcel Koller. Kwathi sebetholene phezulu iPitoli, iSundowns yazixebula ngo 5-2 ezikaKoller.
Sekukonke, iSundowns ne-Al Ahly sebedlale imidlalo ewu-14 yeChampions League. I-Al Ahly isinqobe imidlalo emihlanu, iSundowns emine, emihlanu yaphela ngokulingana.
Bagcina ukuhlangana kowandulela owamanqamu we-African Football League ngasekupheleni kuka-2023, lapho iSundowns yanqoba khona umlenze wokuqala ekhaya ngo 1-0 ngaphambi kokubamba i-Ahly ngo 0-0 eCairo.
Amagoli nebhola elisezingeni eliphezulu elijwayele ukubonakala kule midlalo yala maqembu iyisibonelo esihle sebhola lase-Afrika kanye nombango oqinayo phakathi kwamaqembu aseningizimu ne-Afrika nalawa asenyakatho, okuyiwona ajwayele ukukhonya emiqhudelwaneni ye-Caf.
UPeter Shalulile, osengomunye wabadlali abaqavile beSundowns, nguyena ohamba phambili ngokuhaya amagoli amane emidlalweni yamaBrazilian ne-Ahly futhi usethubeni lokwengeza kulesi isibalo eLoftus ngoMgqibelo.
ISundowns isikhombisile ngaphansi kobuholi bomqeqeshi uMiguel Cardoso, oyijoyine maphakathi nale sizini, ukuthi ayinayo inkinga yokudlala uhlobo lwebhola oluzoyiqhubekisela phambili kulo mqhudelwano, njengoba ikhombisile emizuliswaneni edlule.
Kuzodingeka ukuthi iphinde izibambe ziqine emuva, isebenzise amathuba ezowathola, ukuze ibuyele kowamanqamu kwiChampions League okokuqala kusukela ngo-2016.