USTEVE Barker ongumqeqeshi weStellenbosh, uveze ukuthi ukhiye wokushaya iMamelodi Sundowns kuma-quarterfinal eNedbank Cup, kube wumyalezo awukhumbuze abadlali bakhe ngesikhathi sekhefu.
Leli qembu lijabulise abalandeli balo lishaya ngo-2-1 iMamelodi Sundowns kulo mdlalo obuse-Athlone Stadium ngoMgqibelo ebusuku. Selizobhekana neSekhukhune United kowandulela owamanqamu emidlalweni ezoba ngempelasonto kaMeyi 6/7.
ISundowns iyona ebilwela ukuvikela isicoco esinqobe nyakenye kanti isanda kuqopha irekhodi lokunqoba iligi amahlandla ayisithupha kulandelana.
Selokhu iStellies yasungulwa ngo-2016 ayikaze inqobe lutho esigabeni esiphezulu.
Kwazi bani, mhlawumbe ngokungena okokuqala kowandulela owamanqamu eNedbank kungaholela ekutheni ihambe ezinyathelweni zeqembu layo leDStv Diski Challenge elibe yizingqwele ngesizini edlule.
Isikhulu esiphezulu sale liqembu, uRob Bernadie sicashunwe sithi kabafuni ukutatazela, siyeza isikhathi sokuqoqa izinkomishi.
Emdlaweni leli qembu elishaye kuwo iSundowns bekubonakala ukuthi balambe bonke abadlali balo kusukela emuva kuyoshaya phambili.
Ngaphambi komdlalo uBarker ubethe ufuna ukuthi ezakhe le ndebe ziyinqobele obengumdlali wabo u-Oshwin Andries ogwazwe washona ngoFebhuwari.
ISundowns iyona ethole igoli kulo mdlalo, okube umkhonto ogwaze ekhaya ngonozinti wezikaBarker, uLee Langeveldt.
Nokho kubuywa ekhefini u-Iqraam Rayners unamathisele enethini amagoli amabili abanqobe ngawo.
Kubuzwa uBarker ukuthi ubagqugquzele ndlelani abadlali bakhe ngesikhathi sekhefu, uphendule ehleka, wathi:
“Ngibatshele ukuthi sisayibambe ngakho, nabadlali abane bethu emuva basadlala kahle. Kukhona konke ngibakhumbuze isizathu sokuba kulo mdlalo. Ngaphambi komdlalo bengigcizelele ukuvikela isithunzi seqembu nokufeza izinhloso zalo. Ngibakhumbuze ngokuvikelana, ukulwela isithunzi semindeni yethu, esabangani nesabalandeli bethu.
"Ngibatshelile ukuthi akukakapheli ngathi. Uma sizoqhubeka nokudlala njengasesiwombeni sokuqala sizokwazi ukulithola igoli emizuzwini ewu-15 kuya kwewu-20.
“Ngaleyo ndlela sizoba nalo ithuba lokunqoba. Ngibatshele nokuthi asidlale ibhola elizosinqobisa le nkomishi. Bekuwukuthi siqhubeke nebesikwenza bese sithatha izinqumo eziphusile,“ kusho uBarker.
Obekugqamile wukuthi iStellies ibingayiniki iSundowns ithuba lokutetemuka nebhola noma iphaselane ngendlela ethanda ngayo. Abadlali bezikaBarker bebeyihlala izithonto, bacindezele ngokushesha.
Lo mqeqeshi ube esezwakalisa ukuzwelana neSundowns ngokugijima imidlalo eminingi.
"Kumele siyincome iSundowns. Akuyona into yanoma ubani ukunqoba isicoco seligi, ukufinyelela esigabeni sama-quarterfinal eNedbank Cup nakwaweCaf Champions League, uphinde udlale imidlalo ewu-24 ungashaywa. Kunzima ukubamba lowo mgqigqo.
“Kuba nesikhathi lapho usindeka khona. Njengamanje iSundowns ikuleso sikhathi. Bengincokola nomqeqeshi uKomphela (Steve) ngimtshela ukuthi abasiyeke sinqobe iNedbank Cup bona bathathe iChampions League ukuze sonke sizojabula. Ngibafisela inhlanhla. SiyiNingizimu Afrika sizoba nabo ohambweni lweChampions League kuze kube sekugcineni,“ kuphetha uBarker.