KWABANINGI umdlalo kaGroup C kwiCaf Champions League phakathi kwe-Al Ahly, ne-Orlando Pirates ufana nokugcina icala ngoba womabili amaqembu asedlulele kuma-quarter final. Kodwa womabili amakhempu ayakuqonda ukuthi ukuba esicongweni seqoqo kunemivuzo yakho.
Lo mdlalo onamuhla uzoqala ngo-6 ntambama, eCairo International Stadium.
Ezimnyama ziqhwakele kuleli qoqo ngamaphuzu angu-11 emidlalweni emihlanu, kanti iRed Devils ikweyesibili ngamaphuzu angu-10.
I-CR Belouzidad isendaweni yesithathu ngamaphuzu ayisithupha bese emsileni kuvala iqembu lase-Ivory Coast, iStade d'Abidjan, ngephuzu. La maqembu azobe edlalela ukugqiba ihlazo e-Algiers, kusihlwa ngoba ngeke esakwazi ukudlulela phambili.
EzikaMagebhula ziguqise iBelouizdad ngo 2-1 ekhaya emdlalweni wazo wakamuva, nokuwumphumela oqinisekise ukuthi zizodlulela kuma-quarterfinal.
I-Al Ahly iqumbe phansi iStade d'Abidjan ngo 3-1, ngempelasonto edlule.
Nakuba sekucacile ukuthi iRed Devils, neZimnyama sebephakathi kweyomkhumulajezi kodwa umdlalo usasele nomdonsiswano wokuthi yiliphi eligiye laqhwakela.
Amaqembu azophuma phambili eqoqweni ngalunye azogwemana uma sekuqhathwa azodlala kuma-quarterfinal, aqondaniswe nalawa azoqeda endaweni yesibili.
Nokunqoba iqembu elivikela isicoco njenge-Al Ahly, kungaphinde kulikhuphule igama lePirates.
Umqeqeshi uJose Riveiro, akaphumelenga obala uma ebuzwa ngokunika abadlali abangajwayele ukudlala amathuba kulo mdlalo kodwa uqinisekisile ukuthi bafuna ukubuya namaphuzu aphelele.
“Inhloso yethu ukuthi siqhubeke nokwenza konke okusemandleni ethu ukuthi sincintisane neqembu esidlala nalo emdlalweni ngamunye. Esikukhombisile kule sizini wukuthi iqembu liyaqina futhi liyalwa ngisho noma kufakwe baphi abadlali,” kusho uRiveiro.
“Sifuna ukufika sidlale kahle eCairo. Sihlose ukufika khona siwunqobe umdlalo ngoba leyo yinhloso yethu njengeqembu. Sinethuba lokuphuma phambili kuleli qoqo, ngakho-ke asiwuthathi kalula umdlalo wokugcina. Uma singekho ezingeni lethu eliphezulu eCairo ngeke sibe nosuku oluhle.”
Ngesikhathi amaqembu etholana phezulu ngoDisemba, umdlalo waphela ngo 0-0, e-Orlando Stadium.
URelebohile Mofokeng, noMohau Nkota bahamba phambili ngamagoli kwiPirates kulo mqhudelwano njengoba benamabili umdlali ngamunye.
Umdlali okubhekwe ukuthi abe wuhlupho ezitobheni zePirates ngu-Emam Ashour, onamagoli amane kwiChampions League, waphinda ngoLwesithathu washaya amabili benqoba i-El Gouna ngo 2-0 koweligi yase-Egypt.