SEBEFISA ukubona abadlali abancane begijima enkundleni abalandeli beKaizer Chiefs abangagculisekile ngendlela leli qembu elidlala ngayo.
Iningi seliphelelwe nayithemba lokuthi iqembu labo lizobalwa nayisishiyagalombili azoqeda phezulu kwiDStv premiership ekupheleni kwesizini.
Ukunqotshwa kwaMakhosi imidlalo emithathu yeligi ilandelana kuwashiye endaweni ka-10 kwi-log ngamaphuzu angu-30 emidlalweni engu-24.
Kusukela iPremier Soccer League yasungulwa ngo-1996 Amakhosi asaqede kathathhu ngaphandle kweTop 8. Alala endaweni yesishiyagalolunye ngesizini ka-2001/02, 2006/07 neka-2018/19.
Okunye okubi kule sizini ukuthi asheshe awashiswa ijezi nasemiqhudelwaneni yomkhumulajezi, iMTN 8, Carling Cup neNedbank Cup, okusho ukuthi azophinde aqede enye isizini engafakanga neyokubika indebe ekhabetheni.
Ngemuva komdlalo wangeSonto ne-Richards Bay, lapho iChiefs inqotshwe khona ngo 1-0, abalandeli bazwakalise ukukhathazeka kwabo emakhasini eqembu ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, abanye bephakamisa ukuthi sebencamela ukubona ‘izingane’ zinikwa ithuba elithe xaxa.
USello Mokoena ubhale enkundleni yokuxhumana i-X wathi: “Sengiphelelwa yithemba lokungena kwiTop 8. Okubuhlungu ukuthi sizobhekana neStellies, Supersport neSundowns emidlalweni elandelayo. Mhlawumbe kufanele sinike abadlali abancane ithuba.”
Omunye obona sengathi abadlali abancane yibona abangaletha ushintsho uBright Twist Mack, obephawula kwiFacebook: “UVilakazi (Mfundo) nguyena kuphela umdlali ozimisele, abanye bangapakisha izikhwama zabo bashiye iqembu lethu. Bengibasola abaqeqeshi kodwa laba badlali abazimisele neze.”
UMfundo Vilakazi (18), osanda kusayina inkontileka neqembu elikhulu leChiefs, ungene ngomzuzu ka-66 koweBay, wakwazi ukuqala iminyakazo echwazise inkundla.
Umqeqeshi, uCavin Johnson, umncomile lo mdlali ngendlela ashintshe ngayo umdlalo kodwa wathi usalindele okunye okukhulu kuyena.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi wenze okuningi okuhle. Ubajabulisile abalandeli futhi ngimbonile eya phambili, nokuyinto obekufanele ayenze. Unawo amandla okwenza lokho kodwa kufanele simnike isikhathi sokuthi azinze eqenjini,” kusho uJohnson.
“Ubebonakala ekuthokozela ukuba senkundleni. Kungenzeka ukuthi uphoxekile manje ngoba sihluliwe kodwa ngibona sengathi kukhulu asazoqhamuka nakho emidlalweni ezayo.”
Abanye abadlali abasebancane beChiefs ababonakele enkundleni uMduduzi Tshabalala noSamkelo Zwane. UWandile Duba, naye osuka eqenjini leDStv Diski Challenge, uke wabonakala emidlalweni edlule.
Amakhosi kuzomele agawule abheke kwazise alishiya ngamaphuzu amane kuphela iqembu elisendaweni ka-14 kwi-log, iMoroka Swallows. IChiefs inamaphuzu awu-30, kuthi iSwallows ibe nawu-26.
Yize esele ngamaphuzu ayisikhombisa eqenjini elibambe indawo yokugcina yokungena emiqhudelwaneni yeCaf, i-Orlando Pirates, uJohnson uthe akakaliphonsi ithawula ngale miqhudelwano yase-Afrika.
“Angililahli ithemba kuze kuphele yona imidlalo. Thina njengeqembu, njengethimba labaqeqeshi, kufanele sizikhandle kakhulu kunakuqala. Ngokwethu asiboni sekuphelile ngathi futhi nabadlali bayakwazi lokho. Singaphansi kwengcindezi enkulu kakhulu kodwa yithina okumele sizikhiphe kuyona,” uphethe kanje.
Imidlalo eyisithupha yeligi esele yeChiefs izobhekana neSuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns, AmaZulu FC, Polokwane City, Cape Town Spurs neTS Galaxy.