INKAKHA yeMamelodi Sundowns, uJohn Tlale, ithi leli qembu kufanele likhombise ubuqhawe balo bokuba ngomakhonya ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika, ngokwenza okufanayo emqhudelwaneni weConfederation of African Football (okuyiChampions League noma Conferation Cup).
UTlale usho kanjena nje, iSundowns iqhathwe nezingqungqulu zase-Egypt, i-Al Ahly, iCoton Sport yaseCameroon, ne-Al Hilal yaseSudan, kwiGroup B womzuliswano wesibili wesigaba samaqoqo seCaf Champions League. I-Sundowns izovula ne-Al Hilal yaseSudan ngoFebhuwari 10, kowomlenze wokuqala.
I-Sundowns ifinyelele kulo mzuliswano ngokubhabhadisa iLa Passe FC yaseSeychelles ngo 15-1 uma sekuhlanganiswe imidlalo yemilenze yomibili.
Ukuqhathwa kweSundowns namaqembu anjenge-Al Ahly kuyinkomba yokuthola inselelo edle ngokuqina ngemuva kokuzidlela amahlanga kwiLa Passe eyiqembu elingenawo umlando kwiChampions League.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi iSundowns ibukhombise manje ubuqhawe bayo bokuba yiqembu elikhonyayo ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika, ngokuthi yenze okufanayo nakwiChampions League njengamanye amaqembu ase-Afrika akhonyayo kulo mqhudelwano, anjenge-Al Ahly, Zamalek noWydad (Casablanca).
“Ngikhumbula ngenkathi uPatrice Motsepe ethatha izintambo zokuphatha kwiSundowns, wakubeka kwacaca ukuthi ufuna ukubona leli qembu libalwa namanye akhonyayo kwiChampions League.
“Ukunqoba kweSundowns iChampions League ngo-2016 kwakuwuphawu lokuthi izimisele ngokuhamba ibanga ekubeni ngelinye lamaqembu enza kahle kulo mqhudelwano,” kusho uTlale.
Uthe kodwa ukwehluleka kwayo ukuhamba ibanga kulo mqhudelwano weChampions League kula masizini edlule, kusho ukuthi kukhona lapho okungahambanga kahle khona.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi leli thimba labaqeqeshi leSundowns elikhona njengamanje liyakulungisa lokho, futhi likuqonda kahle ukubaluleka kokuthi leli qembu lenze kahle emqhudalwaneni weChampions League.
“Ukukhonya kwayo kwiDStv Premiership iwola izicoco, njengoba nakule sizini kubukeka isaqhubeka nokwenza, kufanele iqale ikukhombise manje kwiChampions League ngokuthi ibalwe namaqembu enza kahle kulo mqhudelwano.
“Akusizi ukuthi ikhonye lapha eNingizimu Afrika kuphela, kodwa ihluleke ukwenza kahle kwiChampions League inabadlali abaseqophelweni eliphezulu,”kusonga uTlale.
Ngesizini edlule iDowns iphume kuma-quarterfinal eChampions League ikhishwa yiPetro de Luanda yase-Angola.
I-Downs ne-Al Ahly asebephenduke izimbangi, nangesizini edlule bashayane baze babukana njengoba emlenzeni wokuqala iDowns iguqise leli qembu ebeliqeqeshwa wuPitso Mosimane ngo 1-0 kowomlenze wokuqala wesigaba samaqoqo, kwathi kowomlenze wesibili i-Al Ahly yaguqisa iDowns ngo 1-0.
Kule sizini iDowns izodudulana ne-Al Ahly kowomlenze wokuqala ngoFebhuwari 24, e-Egypt, kowomlenze wesibili zidudulane eTshwane, ngoMashi 7 kowomlenze wesibili.