UMQEQESHI we-Orlando Pirates, uJose Riveiro, ukholwa wukuthi bekubalulekile ukuwunqoba umdlalo wabakhaya baseSoweto njengoba inhloso yabo kuwukuqhubeka nokuqoqa amaphuzu azobabeka ethubeni elihle lokudla isicoco seligi ekupheleni kwesizini.
IPirates iguqise iKaizer Chiefs ngo 1-0 wephenathi kaPatrick “Tito” Maswanganyi ngemizuzu yokugcina emdlalweni weBetway Premiership eFNB Stadium, eNasrec, ngoMgqibelo.
Nakuba iSundowns kuyiyona esaqhwakele kwi-log yePremiership kodwa iPirates esendaweni yesibili iyaqhubeka nokukhombisa izimpawu zokuba yiqembu elizimisele ngokudlisela ogageni iSundowns esikhonye isikhathi eside kwiPremiership.
“Uma sifuna ukuzibiza ngeqembu elisembangweni weligi kwiPSL (Premiership) eNingizimu Afrika, kufanele sizabalazele ukuqoqa amaphuzu azogcina esifinyelelise esibalweni sangu-70 kuya phezulu.
Ngakho-ke iqembu elizimisele ngokunqoba iligi akufanele lilahle amaphuzu amaningi. Yingakho bekubaluleke kakhulu kithina ukuthi siwunqobe lo mdlalo ukuze siqhubeke nokuba sembangweni weligi,” kusho uRiveiro.
“NgoLwesithathu siya ePolokwane (kwiSekhukhune United), siyoqhubeka nokulwela amanye amaphuzu ngoba yonke imidlalo esiyidlalayo manje ibaluleke kakhulu, ayikho esiyithatha kancane.”
Lo mqeqeshi uphinde wakusho ngokuzethemba nokungananazi ukuthi akulula kulesi sikhathi ukubhekana neqembu lakhe.
IPirates engagayelwa mphako kulezi zinsuku, emidlalweni eyisishiyagalombili yakamuva kuyona yonke imiqhudelwano, ishaywe kanye yiCape Town City ngo 1-0 koweligi, yanqoba eyisikhombisa eyeCaf Champions League.
“Akulula ukubhekana nePirates njengamanje kunanoma yiliphi iqembu. Ngicabanga ukuthi kancane, kancane sesiyakwazi ukugcina ibhola nokulisa lapho esifuna ukulisa khona, kube nzima ezitheni zethu ukulithola kalula njengoba kwenzekile nakwiChiefs.
Ngenkathi sebefake (abeChiefs) uSirino (Gaston) noYusuf (Maart) ubonakele umehluko, kodwa phezu kwalokho besilokhu siqhubekile nokuba phezulu ngomdlalo,’’ kusho yena.
Le nkulumo kaRiveiro akungatshazwa ukuthi ithumela umlayezo oshubile ezimbangini zayo embangweni wesicoco seligi yePremiership, iSundowns abazodudulana nayo ngoMgqibelo, eLoftus Versfeld Stadium, ePitoli.
Ngaphambi kokuyobhekana neSundowns, eZimnyama zizotholana phezulu neSekhukhune United, ngoLwesithathu ngo-7.30 ebusuku, e-Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane.