IMAMELODI Sundowns ingakwazi ukuzinqoba zontathu izindebe esasalelwe wukuzidlala kule sizini kodwa esimqoka kakhulu okufanele ilwele ukusinqoba ngeseCaf Champions League esesiyiphunyuke kaningi.
Lowo ngumbono kaJohn Tlale owayengunozinti weSundowns owanqoba inqwaba yezicoco naleli qembu eminyakeni edlule, okubalwa nokufinyelela kowamanqamu eChampions League okokuqala kwaleli qembu ngo-2001.
UTlale usho kanjena nje, iSundowns okubukeka sekungumlingo kuphela osungayivimba ukukhala yemuke nesicoco seDStv Premiership, isenethuba lezinye izicoco ezimbili okungeseNedbank Cup neseChampions League.
Izodlala neStellenbosch FC kowandulela owamanqamu eNedbank Cup ngoMeyi 5, eDanie Craven Stadium, eStellenbosch.
Namuhla izodlala omunye umdlalo omqoka womlenze wesibili weChampions League ne-Esperance de Tunis yaseTunisia, eLoftus Versfeld Stadium, ePitoli, ngo-8 ebusuku.
IDowns ibhekene nenselelo yokuphendula amatafula emdlalweni idlulele kowamanqamu kulandela ukuguqiswa yi-Esperance ngo 1-0 kowomlenze wokuqala ngeledlule ekuhambeni.
ISundowns isinayo indebe ye-African Football League eyidle nyakenye. Okusho ukuthi uma inganqoba lezi ezisele ingabe isithathe ezine kwisizini eyodwa.
“ISundowns inesikwati esibanzi esinabadlali abaseqophelweni eliphezulu ukwedlula wonke amaqembu ePremiership, ngakho angisiboni isidingo sokuthi kungani ingeke ikwazi ukunqoba izicoco ezintathu njengoba yenza ngesizini ka-2021/2022.
Kodwa indebe okuyiyona okubaluleke kakhulu njengamanje ukuthi ilwelele ukuyiwina, iChampions League. Seyizame kaningi ihluleka kusukela ngo-2016.
Ukwehlulwa kwayo emlenzeni wokuqala yi-Esperance eTunisia akusho ukuthi sekuphelile, cha. Kusazodlalwa eminye imizuzu engu-90. Ngikholwa wukuthi bawabonile amaphutha abo futhi ngeke bawaphinde kulo mdlalo abayowudlala womlenze wesibili,” kusho uTlale.
“Empeleni lowaya mdlalo womlenze wokuqala babengawuwina ngoba babe phezulu ngomdlalo. Ngiyawethemba amaqhinga omqeqeshi uRhulani (Mokwena) futhi ngikholwa wukuthi ukubuya kukaTebogo (Mokoena) kungenza omkhulu umehluko kulo mdlalo.
Okufanele bakwenze ukuhlasela zisuka nje, bayixine i-Esperance nangomjiko, ngoba abadlali bamaqembu asenyakatho ye-Afrika abazwani nokujikwa, bazohluthuka benze amaphutha.
Ngicabanga ukuthi uma bengasebenzisa isu abalisebenzisa bedlala neWydad Casablanca kowamanqamu e-African Football League (benqoba ngo 2-0), nakanjani bangawuwina lo mdlalo, badlulele kowamanqamu.”
Ngemuva kokunqoba iChampions League okokuqala ngesizini ka-2015/2016, amaSandawane asezame kaningana ukuphinda anqobe lesi sicoco esikhulu nesihlonishwayo ebholeni lase-Afrika.
Asefinyelele kwaze kwaba ngamahlandla amabili kweyandulela owamanqamu walo mqhudelwano.
Ngesizini ka-2018/19, aguqiswe yiWydad Casablanca yaseMorocco kowandulela owamanqamu, kwaba ngesifanayo nangesizini edlule, ephindwa yilo futhi leli qembu laseMorocco. Lokhu kulifakela ingcindezi leli qembu lasePitoli ukuqeda leli shobolo ngomdlalo wanamuhla ebusuku.