OweSundowns usegxile emaqhingeni okudida iPirates
UMGADLI weMamelodi Sundowns, uBrayan Leon, oyishayele amagoli amabili ngesikhathi yehlula iMC Alger emdlalweni weCaf Champions League ngoMgqibelo, ePitoli
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SEKUDUMA amaqhinga okudida i-Orlando Pirates - enwebe igebe lamaphuzu - ekhanda lomqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns, uMiguel Cardoso, ofake leli qembu laseChloorkop, kuma-quarterfinal kwiCaf Champions League.
ISundowns yehlule iMC Alger yase-Algeria, ngamagoli amabili kaBrayan Leon emdlalweni obuseLoftus Versfeld Stadium, ePitoli, ngoMgqibelo, yazibekisela indawo kuma-quarterfinal ngokuqeda endaweni yesibili kuGroup C okukhonye kuwona i-Al Hilal yaseSudan. Ngokwehlandla lesishiyagalombili kulandelana leli qembu laseChloorkop lidlulela kulesi sigaba kwiChampions League.
Ukunqoba kweSundowns akubuzwa ukuthi kumnike intuba yokuphefumula uCardoso onuka iqaqa kubalandeli baleli qembu ngenxa yokuphikwa yimiphumela. Esikhundleni sokujabulela ngokuphelele ukungena kuma-quaterfinal, ugxumele emdlalweni weBetway Premiership abazowudlala nePirates eFNB Stadium, eNasrec, ngoLwesithathu ngo-7.30 ebusuku.
Kusobala ukuthi umbango wesicoco uzoshuba phakathi kwamaqembu acela kwamane kodwa iPirates neSundowns baseqhulwini kuwona.
Ngokujwayelekile esigamini sesibili sesizini, iSundowns isuke isihleli ngokunethezeka esicongweni se-log kodwa kulokhu iPirates ibeke abafana bakaCardoso endaweni abangayijwayele. EZimnyama zivule igebe lamaphuzu ayisithupha esicongweni yize ziphambili ngomdlalo.
Abalandela unobhutshuzwayo waseMzansi babona lo mdlalo njengomunye wemqoka ongase ukhombe indlela ezothathwa yisicoco seligi kule sizini esingena kuvuthondaba.
Emuva komdlalo weCaf lapho uCardoso ekhiphe khona uRulani Mokwena kwiChampions League, lo mqeqeshi wasePortugal ukucacisile ukuthi umqondo wakhe usugxile kwiPirates.
“Kuhle ukunqoba ngoba bekumqoka ukuthi iSundowns ingasali uma sekuqhathwa ama-quarterfinal eChampions League kodwa ngoba sekudlulile, sekuyiPirates eduma emqondweni wami.
“Njengenjwayelo sizojabula kodwa singeqisi ngoba emahoreni ambalwa sizobe sesiqala amalungiselelo omdlalo omqoka weligi nelinye lamaqembu angcono eMzansi.
“Miningi futhi imqoka imidlalo ezayo ngokulandelana njengeNedbank neChampions League kodwa kuleli sonto akukho esizozihlupha ngokukucabanga ngaphandle kwamaqhinga okudida iPirates,” kusho uCardoso.
Kumshaye ngaphakathi ukuwina kwi-Alger lo mqeqeshi onyamanambana kwezinye izingxenye zabalandeli beSundowns.
“Ngizishaya isifuba ngabadlali bami kodwa okungijabulise kunakho konke wukubona abalandeli bokuqina beSundowns bebeka konke eceleni, baseka iqembu labo nokuyindlela okufanele kwenzeke ngayo, ikakhulukazi kwiChampions League,” kusho uCardoso.