Inkakha yebhola yakuleli, uBrian Baloyi, isola amaqembu adlala esigabeni esiphezulu, iDStv Premiership, ngokungaqhamuki namasu afanele okuqeda ukucanasa kweMamelodi Sundowns kwiligi.
UBaloyi wayengunozinti weKaizer Chiefs phakathi kuka-1993 no-2004, wadlulela kumaBrazilians ngaphambi kokugaxa amakhokho emgibeni ngo-2010. ISundowns isidle isicoco seligi amahlandla ayisithupha kulandelana, isibe ngompetha izikhawu eziyisishiyagalombili ngamasizini angu-10 adlule.
Kuyimanje izihola phambili kwiligi ngamaphuzu angu-35 emidlalweni engu-13. Ilandelwa yiCape Town City neSuperSport United, abanamaphuzu angu-29 emidlalweni engu-16.
IStellenbosch FC isendaweni yesithathu ngamaphuzu angu-26, ilandelwe yi-Orlando Pirates ngangu-25, neKaizer Chiefs, esicoshe angu-24.
Njengoba iwindi lokuhwebelana ngabadlali livaliwe phakathi kwamabili, uBaloyi akagculisekanga ngendlela la maqembu ajaha iSundowns aqinise ngayo izikwati zawo nakubona kungakhombisi ukuthi asazimisele ukufakela iqembu likaRhulani Mokwena ingcindezi emzuliswaneni yesibili.
“Bengifisa ukubona amanye amakilabhu eziqinisa ngempela izikwati. Awenzi okwanele. Angikhulumi nje ngeKaizer Chiefs ne-Orlando Pirates, ngisho namanye amaqembu. Ngiwabonile AmaZulu esayinisa abadlali abambalwa neCape Town City kodwa kanginaso isiqiniseko sokuthi amanye amaqembu kumele enzeni ukuze aqhudelane neSundowns,”kusho uBaloyi.
“Sizobona ukuthi ukhona yini ongabaphonsela inselelo kodwa uma ubheka iningi lamaqembu asedlale imidlalo engu-16, iSundowns isidlale engu-13 kodwa isazihola phambili ngamaphuzu ayisithupha. Kunzima impela kwamanye amaqembu. Ukuthi iSundowns uyayithanda noma kawuyithandi akusho lutho, kungakhombisa ubuwula ukubhejela ukuthi ngeke iyinqobe futhi iligi.”
Njengoba imidlalo yeligi isamile ngenxa ye-Africa Cup of Nations eqhubekayo e-Ivory Coast, bangu-10 abadlali beSundowns abaseqenjini iBafana Bafana elibambe iqhaza emqhudelwaneni.
Abayisishiyagalombili bayiqale yomibili imidlalo yakamuva futhi sebedlale imizuzu eminingi e-Ivory Coast lapho kushisa khona kakhulu, ngisho nasebusuku.
Umdlali wasemuva uKhuliso Mudau ukhishwe ngesikhathi sekhefu bebhekene neTunisia ngenxa yokugencwa ngembazo ngabadlali baleli qembu, esiwombeni sokuqala.
UBaloyi ukholelwa ekutheni lokhu kungenzeka kuyiphazamise iSundowns emgqigqweni wayo, kwazise ibisidlale imidlalo engaphezu kuka-30 ngaphambi kokuqala kwe-Afcon.
“Uma kunesikhathi okufanele ngabe amanye amaqembu ayasisebenzisa, yimanje ngoba abadlali beSundowns bazobe bengaphumulanga ngokwanele. Sizobona uma iligi isiqhubeka ukuthi kuzohamba kanjani,” usho kanje.
“Sonke siyazi ukuthi iSundowns inenqwaba yabadlali kodwa akuyona imfihlo ukuthi abadlali esibabona bedlalela eNingizimu Afrika, bangabanye babadlali ababalulekile eqenjini labo. Nakuba benesikwati esikhulu kodwa laba abakwiBafana bawumgogodla weqembu labo.”
ISundowns izoqhubeka nemidlalo yayo yeligi, uma isibhekene neLamontville Golden Arrows ngoFebhuwari 14. Isazobamba iqhaza kwiNedbank Cup nasesigabeni samaqoqo seCaf Champions League.