IMAGESI FC isethubeni lokuqopha umlando wokuba yiqembu lokuqala elinqobe isicoco ngesizini yalo yokuqala esigabeni esiphezulu selokhu kwasungulwa isigaba esikhokhelayo kuleli uma isibhekene neMamelodi Sundowns kowamanqamu weCarling Knockout Cup namuhla.
Lo mdlalo uzoqala ngo-6 ntambama eToyota Stadium, eBloemfontein.
IDikwena tša Meetse ikhushulelwe esigabeni esiphezulu ekuqaleni kwesizini kulandela ukudla isicoco seMotsepe Foundation Championship ngesizini edlule.
Imangaze iningi ikhipha i-Orlando Pirates ngo 3-2 kwiLast 16 yeCarling. Leli qembu eliphekwa nguClinton Larsen, lilandelise ngeTS Galaxy iTS Galaxy liyiguqisa ngo 1-0 kuma-quarterfinal, laphinde ladlula kwiRichards Bay FC ngendlela efanayo kowandulela owamanqamu.
Kubadlali beMagesi abagqamile kule midlalo emithathu kubalwa unozinti u-Elvis Chipezeze ongenelwe amagoli amabili, wavimba inqwaba yamashodi ayingozi. Lo nozinti useqokwe njengomdlali ovelele kuyona yomithathu imidlalo ayidlalile kwiCarling.
Abanye abadlali okubhekwe ukuthi benze umehluko kwiMagesi nguDelano Abrahams ogijima ngakwesokudla esuka emuva eya phambili, abadlala esiswini okungu-Edmore Chirambadare noDeolin Mekoa, nomdlali waphambili onesivinini uWonderboy Makhubu.
ISundowns izifake kowamanqamu ngokuxebula iLamontville Golden Arrows ngo 5-0 kwi-Last 16, iKaizer Chiefs ngo 4-0 kuma-quarterfinal neMarumo Gallants ngo 2-0 kowandulela owamanqamu.
Unozinti weSundowns, uRonwen Williams, akakangenelwa yigoli kulo mqhudelwano. Ngaphandle kokuvimba, uWilliams usemqoka endleleni amaBrazilians aqala ngayo ibhola emuva uma ehlasela. Abagadli beMagesi kuzofanele basebenze kanzima ukuze badlule kuyena.
Omunye umdlali okulindeleke ukuthi abe yiphela endlebeni ezitobheni zeMagesi ngoMgqibelo ngu-Iqraam Rayners osenamagoli amathathu kulo mqhudelwano kule sizini.
Abanye abadlali okubhekwe ukuthi bandise izinkinga zeMagesi uKhuliso Mudau, owehla enyuka ngakwesokudla, uLucas Ribeiro okhanda aphinde ashaye amagoli, noPeter Shalulile osebenzise lo mqhudelwano ukubuyisa ifomu yakhe ngokushaya amagoli amabili.
Umqeqeshi weMagesi, uClinton Larsen, akakufihli ukuthi uzibona enethuba lokunqoba lo mqhudelwano odliwe yiStellenbsch FC ngesizini edlule.
"Ngo-2012 akekho owayebona iCeltic inethuba kodwa sakwazi ukunqoba. Uma nje sizolwa nabadlali bekulungele lokho, siyohlale sinalo ithuba lokuwina. Ukuya kulo mdlalo ucabanga ukuthi iSundowns ishaye i-Arrows ngo-5 -0, Chiefs 4-0 neMarumo 2-0, kungakwenza ucabange ukuthi iMagesi ayinalo ithuba. Umehluko wukuthi uyawasebenzisa lawo mathuba noma cha. Kuzobaluleka ukuthi sibe nenhlanhla encane. Kumele siqine kakhulu emuva futhi uma sithola amathuba ambalwa sidinga ukuwasebenzisa sizinike ithuba lokuwina lo mdlalo,“ kusho uLarsen.
Ngasohlangothini lwe’Downs, umqeqeshi uManqoba Mngqithi, uthe: "Siyalwazi uhlobo lomqeqeshi esizobhekana nalo. Le midlalo ivame ukuba nzima kakhulu. Ngimhlonipha kakhulu uClinton njengomqeqeshi. Ngiyazi ukuthi ngisho engenazo izinsiza ezingako kodwa ngokuncane anakho uyakwazi ukuqumba phansi iqembu elisuke lithwelwe ngeqoma."