ABHEKWE ngabomvu amaqembu aKwaZulu-Natal adlala kwi-Betway Premiership ukuthi ngabe azoyiqala kanjani isizini ka-2024/25 kwazise kweyedlule alikho nelilodwa elanqoba umdlalo walo wokuqala.
Akubuzwa ukuthi lokhu kube nesandla ekutheni kungabi nelilodwa eliqede ku-Top 8. Elizamile kube yiLamontville Golden Arrows eqede kweyesishiyagalolunye ngamaphuzu awu-38.
AmaZulu asonge kweyesi-11 ngawu-36, iRoyal AM yaphothula kweyesi-13 ngawu-33.
Licishe laphinde lagadla izembe, iRichards Bay ibuya kuma-play-off. Ngesizini ka-2022/23 lashobodela iMaritzburg United eseyaziwa ngeDurban City esidlala kwiMotsepe Foundation Championship.
USuthu olucijwa nguPablo Martin, luzovula ngePolokwane City namuhla ngo-8 ebusuku e-Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane. Kuzofanele luzibambe ziqine njengoba emidlalweni emine yokuqala luzodlala neKaizer Chiefs ne-Orlando Pirates. Kweminye luzobhekana neMarumo Gallants neChippa United.
Emidlalweni emihlanu yokuqala ngesizini edlule AmaZulu awenzanga kahle njengoba abambana ngeqanda ne-AM, Bay neSuperSport United. IChiefs yathela usawoti esilondeni iwashaya ngo 3-1 ngaphambi kokuthi anqobe kwiTS Galaxy ngo 1-0.
Esinye sezethenjwa zaMaZulu, uCelimpilo "Zidane" Ngema, sitshele Isolezwe Ngempelasonto ukuthi kuleli sonto umqeqeshi ukugcizelele kakhulu ejimini ukuthi emidlalweni yokuqala bengavumi ukuphindwa esangesizini edlule.
"Sizokwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi asiphindwa yinduku eyodwa. Lesi simo yisona esidale ukuthi siqede isizini edlule sisesibalwa emaqenjini asekugcineni. Nakuba kuhlale kunzima ukudlala nePolokwane ekuhambeni kodwa sizolwela ukubuya namaphuzu aphelele," kubeka uNgema.
Usuthu lusayinise abadlali abayisishiyagalombili. Kubo kubalwa uKwanda Mngonyama, Etiosa Ighodaro waseNigeria, Luvuyo Phewa nabanye.
I-AM izovula ngeCape Town City namuhla ngo-3 ntambama, eHarry Gwala Stadium. Kwemine elandelayo izodlala neSuperSport, Bay, Magesi neSekhukhune United.
Njengoba kowokuqala ngesizini edlule yabambana naMaZulu, kowesibili kwabheda kakhulu ixetshulwa yiPirates ngo 4-2 neStellenbosch ngo 3-1. Yanqoba oweTS Galaxy nakoweChippa.
UJohn Maduka ongumqeqeshi wayo, uthe: "Kuzoba nzima njengoba sizobhekana neqembu eselike ladlala kwi-MTN8. Lishaya ngabadlali nomqeqeshi ohlakaniphile. Kunzima kunjalo, kuzomele kule sizini sinqobe imidlalo eminingi uma sisekhaya.“
Ezakhe zisenkingeni njengoba zigwetshwe yiFifa ngokuthi zingasayinisi badlali ngenxa yokukweleta uSamir Nurkovic waseSerbia noRicardo Nascimento waseBrazil. Ukukhishwa kwesinqumo kuhlehliselwe u-Okthoba 11.
Kusasa, iBay ecijwa uBrandon Truter, izobhekana neGalaxy, ngo-3 ntambama eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza. Kuzolandela oweChippa, AM, Pirates neStellenbosch. Ihambela phezulu njengoba ishaya ngabaxhasi abasha bakwaPhakwe Gas abafike nesamba sika-R100 million.
UTruter uthe: “Ngineme ngalaba badlali yize ngizobadlalisa ngesitayela sami. Angiqali ukusebenza kwiBay kodwa kulokhu kuhlukile ngoba kunabaxhasi abafake izindodla zemali. Amehlo azothi njo kumina.”
Kweyokuqala ngesizini edlule, iBay yashaywa yiSuperSport, Arrows neSundowns, yase idlala ngokulingana neSekhukhune noSuthu. Kubadlali abasayinisile kukhona uThabiso Kutumela, Siyethemba Sithebe, Keagan Allan noThabang Sibanyoni.
I-Arrows izovula neStellies ngoLwesithathu ngo-7.30 ebusuku e-Athlone Stadium, eKapa. Kwelandelayo bazodlala neMarumo, Magesi, Sekhukhune neChippa.
Kowokuqala ngesizini edlule babambana ngo-1-1 neSwallows, banqoba kwiBay, Polokwane nakwiSuperSport, badliwa iSundowns.