UFUNA basheshe bakudlulise ukuphoxeka kokunqotshwa yiKaizer Chiefs koweBetway Premiership, bagxile kolandelayo weCaf Confederation Cup umqeqeshi weStellenbosch FC, uSteve Barker.
IStellenbosch izobhekana neqembu laseMali, iStade Malien, emdlalweni kaGroup C ngeSonto ngo-3 ntambama eLoftus Versfeld, ePitoli.
Izongena kulo mdlalo izikhotha amanxeba kulandela ukunqotshwa Amakhosi ngo 2-1 koweligi obuseFNB Stadium ngoLwesithathu ebusuku.
EzikaSteve Barker zigadle kuqala ngegoli likaKhomotjo Lekoloane esiwombeni sokuqala, iChiefs yabuya ngamabili ashaywe nguWandile Duba ngokwehlukana kweziwombe.
UBarker ukhale ngamaphutha abawenzile akholwa wukuthi abuyise Amakhosi kulo mdlalo, nathemba ukuthi bazowagwema emdlalweni ozayo.
“Angicabangi ukuthi iChiefs ibingalishaya igoli ukube asiwenzanga amaphutha. Sizamile ukuzibuyisela emdlalweni kodwa kwangenzeka. Kusiphoxile ukuthi asizange sikuthole ebesikuzele kulo mdlalo kodwa sibuye nezifundo ezibalulekile,” kusho uBarker.
“Kumele silulame, sikhohlwe wumphumela walo mdlalo, sigxile emdlalweni omkhulu esinawo ngeSonto.”
I-RS Berkane iqhwakele kuGroup B ngamaphuzu angu-12 emidlalweni emine. Leli qembu laseMorocco selizibekisele indawo kuma-quarterfinal eConfederation Cup.
IStellies isendaweni yesibili ngamaphuzu ayisithupha, iStade Malien kweyesithathu ngamaphuzu amane, bese iCD Lunda Sul yase-Angola ihlala emsileni ngephuzu.
Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi iqembu elizonqoba ngeSonto phakathi kweStellies neMalien nalo lizozifaka kuma-quarterfinal yize kuzobe kusasele umzuliswano wokugcina wemidlalo. Uma iStellies iphumelela ukungena kowomkhumulajezi izoqopha umlando kwazise iyaqala ukudlala emqhudelwaneni wase-Afrika.
“Umdlalo wangeSonto kusobala ukuthi usemqoka kangakanani kithina. Uma siwunqoba sizodlulela esigabeni somkhumulajezi. Kubuhlungu ukuthi ngeke siwudlalele eWestern Cape kodwa ngiyacela ukuthi abalandeli beze bazoseseka eLoftus, ngeSonto, ngoba simele iNingizimu Afrika, hhayi iStellenbosch kuphela,” uqhube kanje uBarker.
“Kungaba kuhle uma bengasisiza ukuthi sifinyelele emzuliswaneni olandelayo. Ukungena kweyomkhumulajezi ekubeni siqala ukudlala kulo mqhudelwano kungaba yinto ekhethekile. Siwubheke ngabomvu umdlalo yize sazi ukuthi iStade Malien akulona iqembu okulula ukudlala nalo.
“Kufanele banqobe, nathi sibheke okufanayo. Lo mdlalo ngingawufanisa nowe-Last 16 womkhumulajezi ngoba iqembu elizowina lizoya kuma-quarterfinal.”
Ngesikhathi lawa maqembu ebhekene okokuqala eBamako ngoNovemba, umdlalo wanqotshwa yiqembu laseMali ngo 2-0.