UKUSHINTSHA ukuqalaza kwe-Orlando Pirates ngezinqumo ezithatha emakethe yabadlali kumasizini adlule, kubukeka kuzogcina kuyisiza ukuthi igudluze iMamelodi Sundowns esicongweni seligi enkulu yaseNingizimu Afrika esiyiwine amasizini ayisishiyagalombili elandelana.
Nakuba bekuvele kuyiyona iPirates ekhombisa ukuyiphonsela inselelo iSundowns kodwa lokhu kuthathe elinye igxathu ngesikhathi kufika umqeqeshi waseSpain uJose Riveiro ngo-2021.
Ngaphandle kokuthi iPirates iqale umkhuba wokukucijela eSpain ukuqala kwesizini, indlela eqinisa ngayo isikwati ishintshile kusukela kubadlali abalandwe ngaphandle kwaseNingizimu Afrika, kuya kwabakhushulelwa esikimini esikhulu besuka kwiDStv Diski Challenge (DDC).
Kunzima ukuziba ukuthi izinhloli zePirates eminyakeni embalwa edlule ziqhamuke neqhinga elisha kodwa elisebenzayo kwazise abanye babadlali ezibatholile bebengaqhakazile emaqenjini abasuka kuwona ngaphambi kokuthathwa ngeZimnyama.
Kulaba badlali kukhona uPatrick Maswanganyi noThalente Mbatha abasayine kwiPirates besuka kwiSuperSport United belizwa ngendaba ijezi kodwa sebephenduke izinsika kweZimnyama. Yisimo esifanayo ngoThabiso Lebitso nowayengagqamile kwiChippa United kodwa osephenduke enye yezintandokazi zabalandeli kwiPirates. Ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini, iPirates ithole uSihle Nduli esephelelwe yinkontileka kwiStellenbosch njengoba eseyisithenjwa somqeqeshi.
Kubadlali esanda kuqinisa ngabo iPirates asebeyizinsika singabala uSipho Mbule, Kamohelo Sebelebele, Oswin Appollis, Yanela Mbuthuma, Nkosikhona Ndaba, Masindi Nemtajela, Sinoxolo Kwayiba noTsepang Moremi. Abanye balaba badlali sebeqokelwe esikwatini seBafana Bafana.
Nasezinkulisa zayo ilokhu ibakhiqizile abadlali abafika bangene khaxa esikimini esikhulu okubalwa kubona uRelebohile Mofokeng, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Siyabonga Selepe noMohau Nkota osekungumlando ukuthi sewathola amadlelo aluhlaza eSaudi Arabia.
Muva nje inhloko yabaqeqeshi kwiPirates, u-Abdeslam Ouaddou, ilichome uphaphe lwegwalagwala leli qembu ngokuba nesinono uma kuza emkhakheni wokuthungatha abadlali osekuliphendule umnyango wokungena kwiBafana.
“Ukuphenduka kwePirates umnyango wokungena kwiBafana kulele endleleni yayo enesinono esibabazekayo yokwenza ucwaningo olunzulu ngaphambi kokufaka umdlali emabhukwini,” kusho u-Ouaddou.