UGCWELE ukuzethemba ngeqembu lakhe umqeqeshi weStellenbosch FC, uSteve Barker, ngaphambi kokubhekana neqembu elingabambeki kwiDStv Premiership, iMamelodi Sundowns abazodudulana nalo kowandulela owamanqamu weNedbank Cup ngempelasonto.
IStellies nayo esefomini enhle kweyomkhumulajezi kanjalo nakweyeligi njengoba ibambe indawo yesibili ngemuva kweSundowns, izokwamukela amaBrazilians koweNedbank ngeSonto, eDanie Craven Stadium ngo-3 ntambama.
EzikaBarker seziqhube imidlalo engu-25 zingayazi induku kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano. Lo mqeqeshi ekhuluma nabezindaba ngemuva kokubhaxabula iLamontville Golden Arrows ngo 3-0 koweligi ngoLwesithathu ebusuku, uthe bazimisele ngokuzifaka kowamanqamu yize bazi ukuthi bazobe bebhekene neqembu elinzima kwiDowns.
IStellenbosch inenebule iSupersport United ngo 4-0.
“Yebo, ngumdlalo onzima lo esiyowudlala neSundowns.Uma ubhekisisa kungokokuqala kithina njengeqembu leStellenbosch senze kahle kanje kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano.
Sifuna ukuqhubeka nokwenza kahle emidlalweni yeligi siqede kuleya ndawo yesibili, siphinde sifinyelele nakomunye umdlalo wamanqamu. Konke lokhu kusemiqondweni yethu njengethimba labaqeqeshi nabadlali,“ kusho uBarker iqembu lakhe okuyilona elidle isicoco seCarling Black Label Knockout ebiqala ukudlala kule sizini.
Uthe bayakujabulela ukuthi bazothola izinsuku ezithe xaxa kuneSundowns ukulungiselela umdlalo wangeSonto.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi kuyinhlanhla ukuthi siyodlala ngeSonto neSundowns, okusinika izinsuku ezintathu ukuthi siphumule ngaphambi komdlalo ekubeni yona iyodlala kusasa (izolo ngoLwesine, neKaizer Chiefs kowePremiership) ngaphambi kokuyodlala nathi kowomkhumulajezi.
“Okuyingakho-ke kulo mdlalo wethu ne-Arrows senze isiqiniseko sokuthi sidlalisa iqembu eliqinile ebesazi kahle ukuthi lizokwazi ukusitholela lo mphumela esiwutholile.
Bakhona-ke abadlali abambalwa esibanikile ithuba sabe sesibakhipha abanye (abavame ukudlala) ngasekupheleni komdlalo ukubaphumuza nokugwema amakhadi angenasidingo. Noma kungeke kube lula kodwa ngikholwa wukuthi sizokwazi ukuzibamba ziqine.”
IStellies ibakhiphile ngesiwombe sesibili abadlali bayo abamqoka, okubalwakubona u-Iqraam Rayners, no-Anicet Oura abashaye amagoli kulo mdlalo. Iqembu elizogcina lidle isicoco seNedbank lizohlomula ngo-R7 million okuhambisana nethikithi lokuyodlala kwiCaf Confederation Cup.