UFUNA iqembu lakhe lilwe kuze kuphele umdlalo wokugcina wesizini, umqeqeshi weStellenbosch, uSteve Barker, njengoba libanga ne-Orlando Pirates ukuzibekisela indawo kwiCaf Champions League yangesizini ezayo.
Kuzongenwa emidlalweni yangempelasonto iStellies isendaweni yesibili kwi-log yeDStv Premiership ngamaphuzu angu-50 emidlalweni engu-28. IPirates ibambe indawo yesithathu ngamaphuzu angu-49.
Ukuqeda imidlalo yeligi kusho ukuyodlala kwiChampions League neMamelodi Sundowns engompetha beligi. Indawo yesithathu ihamba nethikithi lokudlala kwiCaf Confederation Cup.
Ukuze iStellies izifake kwiChampions League kumele ibuyele ekunqobeni imidlalo ngomdlalo wanamuhla lapho izobe ibhekene neSundowns engayazi induku kwiligi kule sizini, e-Athlone Stadium ngo-3 ntambama. Izobe isivala imidlalo yeligi neRichards Bay, eThekwini, ngoMeyi 25.
Emidlalweni edlule yeligi iStellies idlale ngokulingana ngo 0-0 naMaZulu FC ngaphambi kokushaywa yiMoroka Swallows ngo 2-0.
“Uma wazi ukuthi uzodlala naMaZulu neSwallows uyakholwa futhi uzame ukuthola amaphuzu angaphezu kwalawo esigcine siwatholile. Nokho, lokhu kukhombisa ukuthi kunzima kanjani ukudlala kule ligi. Siphoxekile kodwa kufanele siqhubeke siye phambili. Asikho isizathu esingenza sihluleke ukushaya iSundowns emdlalweni olandelayo,” kusho uBarker.
“Siyazi ukuthi wumsebenzi onzima. Iyiqembu elisezingeni eliphezulu kodwa esikwenze ngesikhathi sidlala nabo kowandulela owamanqamu eNedbank Cup kusinika ithemba ngalo mdlalo ozayo.
“Okusemqoka wukubuyisa amandla nomfutho wethu, siphinde silwe kule midlalo emibili. IPirates isenomsebenzi okufanele iwenze nayo futhi izobhekana neqembu eliwalambele amaphuzu. Asazi ukuthi iyozala nkomoni.”
IPirates iphunyukwe yithuba lokubuyisela izinto ezandleni zayo ngesikhathi nayo ithelwa phansi yiRichards Bay ngo 1-0 ngempelasonto edlule.
Isizithola ibuyele esimweni lapho kufanele izame khona ukunqoba yomibili imidlalo yayo esele, bese ithandazela ukuthi iStellies iqhuzuke okungenani emdlalweni owodwa.
Iqembu likaJose Riveiro lizodudulana neTS Galaxy eMbombela Stadium namuhla ngo-3 ntambama. Umdlalo walo wokugcina weligi lizowudlala neSuperSport United e-Orlando Stadium ngoMgqibelo ozayo.
IRockets isendaweni yesihlanu ngamaphuzu angu-40, okuyenza ibe sembangweni wokuqeda endaweni yesine, ehambisana nethikithi lokuyodlala kwiCaf Confederation Cup.
Isele ngamaphuzu amabili kwiSekhukhune United kodwa idlale umdlalo owodwa ngaphansi kweBabina Noko.