IMAMELODI Sundowns isikulungele ukubhekana ‘nenzondo’ yabalandeli beTP Mazembe emdlalweni weCaf Champions League.
ISundowns izogadulisana neMazembe emdlalweni wesibili wesigaba samaqoqo weChampions League eStade TP Mazembe, eLubumbashi, eDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC), ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama.
AmaBrazilians ahlezi esicongweni sikaGroup A obophele nePyramids yase-Egypt ecoshe amaphuzu amathathu ngesikhathi yehlula iMazembe emdlalweni wokuvula. ISundowns icoshe amaphuzu amathathu emdlalweni wokuqala ngesikhathi ithela othulini iNouadhibou yaseMauritania ngempelasonto edlule. Ukuwina eDRC kuzokwenza iSundowns inethezeke kwelenyoni njengoba isemkhankasweni wokuwina iChampions League eyayigcina ngo-2016 kusaqeqesha uPitso Mosimane.
Umqeqeshi weSundowns, uRhulani Mokwena, uthe abalindele ukwamukelwa kahle ngabalandeli beMazembe enkundleni yayo. Ubekhuluma emuva kokwehlula iSuperSport United emdlalweni weDStv Premiership ngoLwesithathu ebusuku.
“Ngolwazi lwami lokudlala kwiChampions League, iLubumbashi ingenye yezindawo ezingenawo umusa. Zintathu izindawo ezinjalo. ILubumbashi ingenye yazo. Uma ingahambi phambili, isendaweni yesibili kwezintathu eziphezulu. Yileyo into enkulu okufanele sibhekane nayo. Sesidlalile eCasablanca (Morocco), sidlalile e-Algeria, sidlalile eCairo (Egypt) basiphathe ngonya nabo. Ngikhumbula siye eGhana, eMadeama nakhona bekunjalo. Yilokho okuzodingeka sibhekane nakho kuqala,” kusho uMokwena.
“Ngaphezu kwalokho kune-artificial pitch (inkundla enotshani bokufakelwa) ekubeni sizobe sibhekene neqembu elisebenzisa amandla. Ngibabukile (Mazembe) bedlala nePyramids. Ngibuke njengesibukeli. Kuzoba wuhambo olunzima ekuhambeni. Sizobhekana neqembu elinzima. Umdlalo wabo nePyramids ubunzima futhi lihlale obala izinga lokusebenza kwamandla. Yizinga leChampions League lelo,” kusho uMokwena.
ISundowns izoya eLubumbashi ivunwa wumlando kwazise isiyehlule izikhawu eziningi iMazembe. Emidlalweni eyisihlanu phakathi kwala maqembu, iSundowns iwine kwemine, iMazembe yawina kanye. AmaBrazilians agcina ukwehlulwa yiMazembe ngo-2015 ngesikhathi ekhala ngaphansi ngo 3-1 khona eDRC. Ngesikhathi la maqembu egadulisana esigabeni samaqoqo ngo-2021, iSundowns idlule ngo 2-1. AmaBrazilians agcine eqeda eqhwakele eqoqweni, adlulela kuma-quarterfinal. Nokho kulokhu kufanele izibambe ziqine iSundowns kwazise iMazembe yenza kahle nakwiligi yayo, iLinafoot Football League. Isendaweni yesibili ngemuva kweSt Eloi Lupopo futhi ayikaze ihlulwe emidlalweni engu-11 kule sizini.
ISundowns izobuyela eMzansi isizobhekana naMaZulu FC kowePremiership eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini, ngoDisemba 6.