UMQEQESHI weMaritzburg United, uFadlu Davids, uthi bazoqhubeka balwe kuze kube sekugcineni. Uthi bazobadinga kakhulu nabalandeli babo emidlalweni emine ebasalele yeligi, empini yabo yokuvika izembe.
UDavids ukusho lokhu emuva kokuba ezakhe zibuye sekuvalwe amehlo ngemizuzu yokugcina zibambana ngo 1-1 neRichards Bay FC ngoLwesihlanu, emdlalweni weDStv Premiership obuseHarry Gwala Stadium, eMgungundlovu.
IRichards Bay ebithole igoli kuqala ngesiwombe sokuqala, ibisithembile ukuthi iwafaka esikhwameni ephelele amaphuzu ngenkathi iMaritzburg ithola igoli elokulinganisa ngomzuzu ka-92. Bashaye igoli ngesikhathi esengezwe ngunompempe ngenkathi eGenino Palace, engqomfela phakathi ngekhanda ibhola ebeligotshwe nguBrandon Theron.
“Yize ngingagculisekile ngomphumela esiwutholile kodwa ngihlabeke kakhulu umxhwele ngokuzinikela okukhonjiswe ngabadlali bami kusukela esiwombeni sokuqala kuya esiwombeni sesibili. Ngendlela ebesiyihlasela ngayo iRichards Bay singayinike thuba.
“Ngokwamathuba esiwatholile nangendlela ebesicindezela ngayo, okufakazelwe ngamabhola amaningi anzima avinjwe ngunozinti wabo (uSalim Magoola), besingalithola negoli lesibili ngemizuzu yokugcina siwunqobe lo mdlalo.
“Bekubaluleke kakhulu kithi ukuthi singahlulwa kulo mdlalo. Ngakho-ke sizosebenzisa umphumela walo mdlalo nokulwa kwethu esikukhombisile emdlalweni wethu olandelayo neSwallows (ngoLwesine). Sizimisele ngokulwela ukubuya namaphuzu aphelele emdlalweni wethu olandelayo neSwallows esizowudlala ekuhambeni,” kuchaza uDavids.
Uncome abalandeli beqembu, ababize ngeBlue Army (ibutho leziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka).
“Indlela abalandeli bethu abeseseka ngayo iyasikhuthaza kakhulu futhi isinika isibindi kule mpi esibhekene nayo njengoba besikhomoze kwaze kwaba kukhala impempe, bengalilahlile ithemba.”
Ngakolunye uhlangothi umqeqeshi weRichards Bay, uVasili Manousakis, ubalise ngokudembesela kwabadlali bakhe.
“Ukungenelwa kwethu yigoli ngemizuzu yokugcina ngenye into esasikhathaza namanje futhi esisalwa nokuyilungisa. Uma ubheka ukuthi iMaritzburg leli goli ilithole esikhathini ebesengezwe ngunompempe.
“Okubalulekile kusukela manje wukuthi sibhekane nemidlalo elandelayo. Yize sikuqonda ukuthi ayilula neze. Ngikholwa wukuthi uma singaqhubeka nale ndlela esikhombise ngayo ukulwa kulo mdlalo, bese sigwema namaphutha angenasidingo,” kuchaza uManousakis.
Iqembu laseMphithi lidinga wonke amaphuzu kule midlalo emine elisalele, ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuvika izembe. OkungoweSwallows FC (ekuhambeni), iMarumo Gallants (ekhaya), iStellenbosch FC (ekhaya), neMamelodi Sundowns (ekuhambeni).