I-AL AHLY izobe ihlose ukuziphindiselela kwiWydad Athletic kowamanqamu weCaf Champions League ngokubona komqeqeshi weWydad, uSven Vandenbroeck.
La maqembu azobe ehlangana kowamanqamu alo mqhudelwano okwesibili kulandelana. Ngesizini edlule, iWydad yanqoba isicoco iguqisa iRed Devils ngo 2-0 eMohammed V Stadium, eCasablanca.
Kulo nyaka izinto zizohluka njengoba umdlalo wamanqamu uzodlalwa imilenze emibili. Owokuqala uzobanjelwa eCairo International Stadium ngeSonto ngo-8 ebusuku, bese owesibili udlalelwe eCasablanca, ngeSonto elizayo.
I-Ahly iyona ephethe irekhodi lokunqoba lesi sicoco kaningi kunawo wonke amaqembu kwazise le ndebe isiyiqukule amahlandla angu-10. IWydad izobe ibheke ukunciphisa igebe ngokuyiphakamisa okwesine.
Kwagcina ngo-2016, ukuthi ingabibikho i-Al Ahly noma iWydad kowamanqamu eChampions League. Kulowo nyaka isicoco sathathwa yiMamelodi Sundowns ihlula iZamalek.
“Umdlalo wamanqamu kuzoba ngofanayo nowanyakenye, ngakho ngiyacabanga ukuthi i-Al Ahly ifuna ukuziphindiselela kwiWydad. Kuzoba umdlalo ohlukile kulo esiwudlale kowandulela owamanqamu lapho iSundowns bekuyiyona ephethe umdlalo. Ngilindele ukuthi sidlale umdlalo wethu uma sesibhekene ne-Al Ahly, ngiyazi kahle,” kusho UVandenbroeck, ekhuluma ne-Ahram Online.
IRed Devils ingene kalula kowamanqamu ithela phansi i-Esperance yaseTunisia ngo 4-0 uma sekuhlanganiswe imilenze yomiili. IWydad kudingeke ukuthi isebenze kanzima njengoba idlale ngokulingana ngo 0-0 neSundowns ekhaya, ngaphambi kokuthi zibambane ngo 2-2 ePitoli. Leli qembu laseMorocco lidlulele kowamanqamu ngenxa yokushaya amagoli amaningi ekuhambeni.
Womabili la maqembu azongena emlenzeni wokuqala ezethemba ngemuva kokunqoba emidlalweni yawo yasekhaya ekuqaleni kwesonto. I-Wydad iguqise iMoghreb Tetouan ngo 2-0 ngoMsombuluko ebusuku, yaqhubeka nokuhlala endaweni yesibili kwiMoroccan Botola Pro League.
I-Al Ahly idle iCeramica Cleopatra ngo 1-0 ngosuku olufanayo, yaqhubeka nokuqhwakela kwi-Egyptian Premier League. Noma kunjalo, umqeqeshi wayo, uMarcel Koller, akagculisekile ngendlela leli qembu elidlale ngayo futhi ubadonse ngendlebe abadlali bakhe ukuthi babhukule koweWydad.
“Okuhle ngomdlalo neCeramica ukuthi siwunqobile kodwa angigculisekile neze ngendlela esidlale ngayo. Ngemuva kokushaya igoli silahlekelwe yimiqondo sahluleka ukumaka kahle. Kwale kancane ukuthhi basijezise bathole igoli lokulinganisa,” kusho uKoller kwi-website ye-Al Ahly.
“Ngifuna ukugcizelela ukuthi sidinga ukuzimisela kakhulu uma sesidlala neWydad. Uma singadlala ngendlela esidlale ngayo neCeramica, ngeke siwuthole umphumela esiwufunayo.”
Ngaphandle kokududulana kowamanqamu nyakenye, la maqembu ake abheana komunye wamanqamu owadlalwa imilenze emibili ngo-2017. Umdlalo owawuseCairo, waphela zibambene ngo 1-1 ngaphambi kokuthi iWydad inqobe ngo 1-0, yathatha isicoco ngo 2-1.
I-Al Ahly izobe ithembele kumgadli weBafana Bafana, uPercy Tau, ukuthi aqhubeke nefomu ayikhombise ngesikhathi ibhekene ne-Esperance kowandulela owamanqamu, lapho evalele khona amagoli amabili emlenzeni wokuqala.
Abanye abadlali abasefomini enhle kwiRed Devils nguMohammed Sherif, Hussein El Shahat, noMahmoud Kahraba.
Amathemba eWydad azobe ekubadlali abanjengoBouly Junior Sambou, Yahya Jabrane, Zouhair El Moutaraji nabanye.