NGEMUVA kokunqoba isicoco seDStv Premiership okwehlandla lesikhombisa amasizini elandelana, umqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns uRhulani Mokwena usha amashushu ngokuqopha amanye amarekhodi eligi naleli qembu.
Lo mqeqeshi uveze lesi sifiso ngemuva kokuba ezakhe zibhambabule iKaizer Chiefs ngo 5-1 emdlalweni wePremiership ngoLwesine, eFNB Stadium, eGoli.
Kuye ngamagama enkehli kwiSundowns ishaya iChiefs kwazise ibivele idinga amaphuzu amathathu kulo mdlalo ukuqinisekisa ukuba ngompetha baka-2023/2024 beDStv Premiership yize kusasele imidlalo embalwa isongwe le sizini.
Leli qembu lasePitoli yilona elizihola phambili ngezicoco zeligi ngaphansi kwePremier Soccer League njengoba inezingu-14.
ISundowns ayigcini lapho, yiyona esaphethe irekhodi lePremiership lokunqoba iligi ngamaphuzu angu-71 eyaliqopha ngesizini ka-2015/16 isaqeqeshwa nguPitso “Jingles” Mosimane.
Ngesizini edlule ngaphansi kukaMokwena, iSundowns kwala kancane ilifice leli rekhodi iqeda isizini inamaphuzu angu-70.
Nokho kubukeka kulokhu ingase ifinyelele emaphuzwini angu-71 noma iwadlule. Njengamanje isaqoqe angu-62 kanti isasalelwe yimidlalo eyisithupha.
“Umuntu uyahlela, uNkulunkulu athathe izinqumo. Amaphuzu angu-71 ? Yini engasivimba (ukwephula lelo rekhodi)?
Uma singakwenza lokho, siyobonga. Uma kungenzekanga, kuyoba yishwa bese siphinda sizama ngokuzayo,” kusho uMokwena ekhuluma nezintatheli ngemuva komdlalo.
“Zonke izintaba zikhonela ukuthi ziqwalwe futhi lapho ukhuphuka kufanele ube ubheka enye intaba (elandelayo). Ngesizini edlule sifinyelele emaphuzwini angu-70, ngakho kungenzeka.
“Yilapho esikhona. Ebholeni uyanqoba, uhlulwe noma udlale ngokulingana. Ngicabanga ukuthi njengamanje sesidlala ngaphandle kokwesaba ukuthi singase sehlulwe.
“Kukhona lapho bese sidlalela khona ukungehlulwa, ngabe sengibakhumbuza abadlali ukuthi sifike lapha sikhona ngokudlalela ukunqoba.”
Ngaphandle kokuzibeka ethubeni lokuqopha irekhodi lamaphuzu, amaSandawana asanelinye ithuba lokuqopha irekhodi lokuqeda isizini engazange ehlulwe nakanye emidlalweni yeligi, okuyinto engakaze yenzeka kusukela kwasungulwa iPremier Soccer League ngesizini ka-1996/97.
Ngesizini ka-2020/21 amaSandawana acishe awuqopha lo mlando njengoba ehlulwa kanye kuphela isizini yonke emidlalweni yeligi ethatha isicoco sePremiership. Ngakho kubhekwe ngabomvu ukuthi lezi zingqungqulu zasePitoli zizokwazi yini ukuqhubeka nomgqigqo ofanayo kuze kube ngumdlalo wokugcina weligi.
AmaSandawana asevele anezicoco ezimbili kule sizini, ese-African Football League (AFL) nePremiership.
Isisemshikashikeni wesicoco sesithathu njengoba iyobhekana neStellenbosch FC emdlalweni wowandulela owamanqamu eNedbank Cup, ngeSonto (namuhla) eDanie Craven Stadium, eStellenbosch ngo-3 ntambama.