ISITOBHA saMaZulu, uRiaan Hanamub, sishumayela eyobumbano kuleli qembu ngaphambi komdlalo omqoka neMamelodi Sundowns.
USuthu luzobhekana neSundowns emdlalweni weDStv Premiership eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza, ngo-7.30 ebusuku.
Luzodlala lo mdlalo nje, lusazikhotha amanxeba kulandela ukuthelwa isibhaxu yiTS Galaxy kowandulela owamanqamu weCarling Black Label Knockout eThekwini ngempelasonto edlule.
Umsebenzi ohlalele umqeqeshi waMaZulu, uPablo “Cijimpi” Martin, owokugqugquzela abafana bakhe ukuze badlulise ukudumala okudalwe wukuphuma kwiCarling abebefuna ukuyiwinela uzakwabo uBonginkosi Ntuli ongasekho.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele sibumbane. Sidinga ubumbano ngoba ngikholwa wukuthi siqinile uma sibumbene. Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele sisebenze kanzima, senze zonke izinto ezilungile,” kusho uHanamub.
AmaZulu azobhekana neSundowns engakaze yehlulwe emidlalweni yeligi selokhu kuqale isizini. Ngesonto eledlule, iqophe irekhodi elisha lokuwina imidlalo eyisishiyagalolunye yokuqala yesizini. Yephule irekhodi leKaizer Chiefs lokuwina imidlalo eyisishiyagalombili.
Nokho kukhona ukuphazamiseka ekhempini yeSundowns kwazise ngempelasonto edlule, ibuye ilambatha eDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) lapho yehlulwe khona yiTP Mazembe emdlalweni wesigaba samaqoqo seCaf Champions League. Akubuzwa ukuthi amaBrazilians azofuna ukubhodlela kuMaZulu ukuze ezonwena igebe lamaphuzu esicongweni se-log yePremiership.
ISundowns inamaphuzu angu-27 emuva kwemidlalo eyisishiyagalolunye. AmaZulu asendaweni ka-11 namaphuzu angu-15 emuva kwemidlalo engu-12.
Kungenzeka umqeqeshi weSundowns, uRhulani Mokwena, aphinde aqoke ukuzonga izethenjwa zakhe kwazise ihlalelwe wumdlalo onzima weChampions League ezowudlala nePyramids yase-Egypt eLoftus Versfeld, ePitoli, ngeSonto ntambama. UMokwena ubaphumuzile abadlali abamqoka ngesonto eledlule ngaphambi kokuvakashela iTP Mazembe eDRC kodwa badlula ngehubo lika 2-0 komakhelwane, iSuperSport United.
Uzakwabo kaHanamub kuMaZulu, uMbongeni Gumede, uthe balindele umdlalo onzima kuSundowns.
“Siyazi ukuthi iSundowns iyiqembu elizimiselayo futhi ingelinye lamaqembu amakhulu eNingizimu Afrika okwamanje. Ngiyabona ukuthi kufanele sikufake emiqondweni ukuthi kuzoba wumdlalo onzima, sizimisele, sazi ukuthi kufanele senzeni,” kusho uGumede.
Ngesizini edlule, AmaZulu ahlulekile ukucosha amaphuzu agcwele kwiSundowns. Emdlalweni womlenze wokuqala, iSundowns iwine ngo 1-0 ePitoli. Kowomlenze wesibili la maqembu adlale ngokulingana ngo 2-2 eThekwini.