IZINHLUNGU zeMamelodi Sundowns zokukhishwa yi-Esperance kowandulela owamanqamu eCaf Champions League zidanjiswe wukuthi leli qembu lakuleli likwazile ukungena kwiFifa Club World Cup yangonyaka ozayo.
AmaBrazilian ne-Esperance babe ngamaqembu amabili okugcina ase-Afrika ukungena kulo mqhudelwano kulandela ukududulana kowandulela owamanqamu eChampions League, onqotshwe yiqembu laseTunisia ngo 2-0 uma sekuhlanganiswe yomibili imilenze.
La maqembu abesehlanganise amaphuzu anele awavumela ukuthi ajoyine izinkunzi zase-Egypt, i-Al Ahly, nezaseMorocco, iWydad, ebesezibekisele izindawo njengamaqembu asanda kuphakamisa indebe yeCaf Champions League.
Njengoba i-Al Ahly ne-Esperance bezohlangana kowamanqamu eChampions League ngoJuni, lokhu kusho ukuthi alisekho iqembu elisha elizokwazi ukungena kulolu hlu lwamaqembu akhethekile azomela leli zwekazi.
Kusukela ngo-2000 iFifa Club World Cup ibibangwa amaqembu angompetha bamazwekazi ahlukene kanjalo neqembu elilodwa eliqhamuka ezweni elisuke lisingethe imidlalo. Lo mqhudelwano ubudlalwa minyaka yonke.
Nokho, inhlangano ephethe ibhola emhlabeni, iFifa, yanquma engqungqutheleni eyabanjwa ngasekupheleni kuka-2022 ukwandisa lo mqhudelwano ngokuvumela amaqembu angu-32 avela emhlabeni wonke ukuthi abambe iqhaza. Lolu hlobo olusha lwalo mqhudelwano luzodlalwa njalo eminyakeni emine.
Uzodlalwa okokuqala ngonyaka ozayo kusukela ngoJuni kuya kuJulayi, e-United States of America.
Yize iFifa ingakaqinisekisi ukuthi amaqembu azohlomula malini ngokubamba iqhaza nokunqoba isicoco, kunemibiko yokuthi iqembu ngalinye elizobamba iqhaza lizothola u-50 million wama-Euro (cishe u-R1 billion ngokwemali yakuleli) nokuthi elizonqoba lizohamba no-100 million wama-Euro (cishe u-R2 billion).
ISundowns isivele ibomvu yimali kule sizini ngokudla isicoco sokuqala se-African Football League, ebesihambisana nesheke lika-4 000 000 USD (cishe u-R75 million). Iphinde yathola isamba esingu-1.2 million USD (R22.4 million) ngokufinyelela kowandulela owamanqamu eCaf Champions League.
Lokhu kwenza imali ezoyithola emiqhudelwaneni yasekhaya isihlanganiswe yonke ibukeke njengoshintshi.
Ekhuluma ngemuva kokuphuma kwiChampions League, umqeqeshi weSundowns, uRhulani Mokwena, uthe nakuba bephoxekile ngokuthi baphinde baphunyukwa yile ndebe, ukhona lowo muzwa omuhle ngoba bazobuyela kwiClub World Cup.
“Sinemizwa exubene. Ukungena kwiClub World Cup kusho ukuthi iqembu lenze kahle ukuze lizibeke ethubeni lokungena kulo mqhudelwano. Nokho, indlela ebesihlose ukungena ngayo kulo mqhudelwano bekuwukuthi singene njengompetha base-Afrika,” usho kanje.
AmaSandawana angena kulo mqhudelwano okokuqala ngo-2016 kulandela ukugcotshwa kwawo njengompetha base-Afrika.
Kulowo mqhudelwano owawuseJapan akhishwa yiqembu lasekhaya, iKashima Antlers, ngo 2-0 kuma-quarter-final. Aphinde ashaywa yiJeonbuk Hyundai Motors yaseSouth Korea ngo 4-1 sekulwelwa indawo yesihlanu.
I-Club World Cup entsha izoqala ngamaqoqo ayisishiyagalombili azoba namaqembu amane. ISundowns iqhathwe kuGroup D neChelsea yase-England, Palmmeiras yaseBrazil neCruz Azul yaseMexico.
Amaqembu amabili azophuma phambili eqoqweni ngalinye azodlulela kwi-Last 16 bese kuqhubeka eyomkhumulajezi kuze kuphume ompetha. Ngeke ube khona umbango wendawo yesithathu.
Inhlangano emele amalungelo abadlali emhlabeni, iFifPro, yasigxeka isinqumo seFifa sokunweba lo mqhudelwano ngaphandle kokubonisana nezinhlangano ezimele abadlali, yengeza ngokuthi ukudlala umqhudelwano onzima kangaka ekupheleni kwesizini kuzoba wumthwalo kubadlali.
“Isinqumo seFifa sibonisa ukungacabangeli imiqondo nemizimba yabadlali kanye nokunganakwa kwempilo yabo nemindeni yabo,” sasisho kanje isitatimende esakhishwa yiFifPro.
“Lo mncintiswano uzonciphisa isikhathi sokuphumula nesokwelulama kwalaba badlali ekupheleni kwesizini ka-2024/25, kuphinde kuphazamise ukuhwebelana ngabadlali.
“Ingcindezi eza nomqhudelwano walolu hlobo iholela ekukhathaleni, ukulimala, ukuphazamiseka ngokwengqondo nokunye. Sekukaningi abadlali bengonyuluka ezinyunyaneni zabo ngomthwalo okhulayo.”
Nokho, bakhona abawesekayo lo mqhudelwano njengenkakha yase-Ivory Coast, uDidier Drogba. Lo mgadli owaziwa ngokuqhulula amagoli esagijima kwiChelsea ukholelwa ekutheni lo mqhudelwano uza namathuba amasha.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi yithuba elihle emaqenjini nakubadlali ukuthi bakwazi ukuqhudelana ezingeni eliphezulu lebhola. Ikhona iNdebe yoMhlaba (yamazwe), kodwa iba njalo ngemuva kweminyaka emine futhi akuyena wonke umuntu onethuba lokubamba iqhaza,” kusho uDrogba kwi-website yeFifa.
“Cabanga nje umuzwa womdlali ozinze e-Ivory Coast noma yiliphi elinye izwe lase-Afrika uma ezibona eqhudelana namaqembu amakhulu emhlabeni njengeChelsea, Barcelona noma iReal Madrid. Lo mqhudelwano uzosho lukhulu emaqenjini ase-Afrika ngoba azothola ithuba lokuzibonakalisa.”
Sezithathiwe izindawo ezingu-26 kulezi ezingu-32 ebezibekiwe. Izikhala eziyisithupha ezisele zizovalwa amaqembu azonqoba i-AFC Champions League ka-2023/24, i-Concacaf Champions Cup ka-2024, iCONMEBOL Libertadores ka-2024, amaqembu amabili azokhethwa ngokwamaphuzu eSouth America kanye neqembu elilodwa lase-United States, engosokhaya.
Uhlu lwamaqembu asezibekisele izindawo kwiFifa Club World Cup ka-2025:
Africa (Caf): Wydad (Morocco), Al Ahly (Egypt), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), ES Tunis (Tunisia).
Europe (Uefa): Chelsea (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Manchester City (England), Bayern Munich (Germany), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Inter Milan (Italy), Porto (Portugal), Benfica (Portugal), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Juventus (Italy), Atletico Madrid (Spain), FC Salzburg (Austria).
North & Central America, Caribbean (Concacaf): Monterrey (Mexico), Seattle Sounders (United States), Club Leon (Mexico).
Asia (AFC): Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Ulsan HD FC (Korea Republic).
South America (CONMEBOL): Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense (wonke awaseBrazil).
Oceania (OFC): Auckland City (New Zealand).