UMQEQESHI weMamelodi Sundowns, uMiguel Cardoso, ukholwa wukuthi ezakhe zizokwazi ukuvuka zizithathe ngemuva kokushaywa yiRaja Casablanca ngo 1-0 emdlalweni wesigaba samaqoqo kuGroup B weCaf Champions League ngempelasonto edlule eMorocco.
ISundowns izotholana phezulu neManiema Union yaseDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama eStade des Martryrs, eKinshasa. AmaBrazilians asendaweni yesibili kuGroup B ngamaphuzu amahlanu. Esicongweni kuhleli i-AS FAR Rabat yaseMorocco ngayisishiyagalombili.
ISundowns idinga ukunqoba owodwa, bese okungenani ibuya nephuzu kowokugcina kule midlalo emibili eyisalele esigabeni samaqoqo ukuze izibekisele indawo kuma-quarterfinal eChampions League. Kowokugcina izobhekana ne-AS FAR ngoJanuwari 19 ePitoli.
“Kufanele sivuke sizithathe ngamasosha esinawo ngoba sinabadlali ababili abamisiwe. Kufanele sibone ukuthi yibaphi abazokulungela ukuyoyibamba koweManiema. Nomakanjani kufanele sizibambe ziqine, sisebenzise amaqhinga azokwenza siwunqobe lo mdlalo, sisondele ekudluleleni kuma-quarterfinal,” kusho uCardoso.
Lo mqeqeshi uzophoqeka ukushintsha kancane isikimu sakhe ngenxa yamakhadi abomvu atholwe nguKhuliso Mudau noBathusi Aubass eMorocco. Ukhale ngendlela ezakhe ezidedele ngayo igoli eligcine lizilahlekisele ngamaphuzu.
“Udonga lwabo (Raja) beluqine kakhulu, kangangokuthi besingakwazi ukuvula izikhala silugqobhoze. Okushintshe kakhulu umdlalo wethu yindlela esidedele ngayo igoli sekuyophela isiwombe sokuqala. Kuhlale kuyinto enzima ngaso isikhathi ukungenelwa yigoli ngemizuzu yokugcina yesiwombe sokuqala lapho emqondweni nasemoyeni senidinga ukuyozihlela kabusha njengeqembu ezindlini zokushintshela ukuze nibuye namanye amasu ngesiwombe sesibili. Ngesiwombe sesibili sikwazile ukuwubamba umdlalo, sathola amathuba okuhlasela kodwa sahluleka ukuthola igoli. Ngidumele ukuthi asikwazanga ukuwasebenzisa ngendlela amathuba esiwatholile. Kodwa lokho sekwedlule, sesigxile emdlalweni wethu olandelayo obalulekile esizowudlala ekuhambeni neManiema,” kusho uCardoso.
Lo mqeqeshi odabuka ePortugal wehlulwa yiCasablanca nje, ubeshaywa okokuqala selokhu ethathe izintambo zokuqeqesha iSundowns maphakathi noDisemba. Ubingelele kubalandeli beSundowns ngokwehlula yona iCasablanca ngo 1-0 kowokuqala kaGroup B. Emuva kwalokho unqobe imidlalo emithathu ilandelana yeBetway Premiership.