UMQEQEQESHI weMamelodi Sundowns, uMiguel Cardoso, ubhoboke ngokuthi akwehlanga kahle kuyena ukuthola ikhadi elibomvu nokungenelwa ngamagoli amabili kwezakhe ngesikhathi zibhekene neqembu elidlala esigabeni sama-amesha, iSibanye Golden Stars, koweNedbank Cup Last 32.
ISundowns, eyaziwa ngokuzidlela amahlanga uma ibhekene namaqembu ama-amesha kwiNedbank Cup, ishikiliswe yiGolden Stars edlala kwiSafa Free State ABC Motsepe League nakuba igcine inqoba ngo 5-2 eLoftus Versfeld Stadium, ePitoli ngoMgqibelo.
Kulo mdlalo iSundowns iqede umdlalo ingasaphelele kulandela ukukhishwa ngekhadi elibomvu komdlali wasesiswini, uBathusi Aubaas, ngesiwombe sesibili.
Bese kungokwesibili lo mdlali ethola ikhadi elibomvu kulo nyaka kwazise ulitholile ngesikhathi bebhekene neRaja Casablanca emdlalweni weCaf Champions League yaseMorocco ngoJanuwari 4.
“Ukungenelwa kwethu ngamagoli amabili sidlala neqembu elidlala esigabeni esiphansi akuwona umphumela omuhle, angithokozile neze. La maphutha esiwenzile bekungafanele siwenze. Angeneme neze ngokuthi sithole ikhadi elibomvu kulo mdlalo. Kube yiphutha elikhulu ngempela ukuthi sibe nomdlali ophuma ngekhadi elibomvu emdlalweni onjengalona kungenasidingo,” kusho uCardoso ophike eyokuthi kukhona ukungaziphathi kahle kubadlali bakhe.
“Asingaphambanisi ukuziphatha komdlali nalokho okwenzeke enkundleni. Kwehluke kakhulu ngoba njengeqembu asinayo inkinga yokungaziphathi kahle kwabadlali. Asinayo inkinga yokungaziphathi kahle kwabadlali. Yebo, angijabule ngokuthi silahlekelwa ngabadlali ngamaphutha obekungafanele siwenze.”
Lo mqeqeshi ukhuluma kanjena nje, ngesonto eledlule ubavikele abadlali bakhe, wathi ayimkhathazi eyamakhadi abomvu.
Ikhadi elibomvu lika-Aubaas ngelesithupha elitholwe ngumdlali weSundowns kule sizini. Ngesizini edlule, bayisihlanu abadlali bamaBrazilians abakhonjiswe amakhadi abomvu. Abanye abadlali beSundowns esebethole amakhadi kule sizini nguDivine Lunga, Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau no-Aubrey Modiba.
Emdlalweni neGolden Stars, uCardoso unike ithuba abadlali angajwayele ukudlala okukhona kubona uKegan Johannes, Jayden Adams osayine ngesonto eledlule esuka kwiStellenbosch nabanye. Akubuzwa ukuthi kulaba badlali kukhona abathathe iso likaCardoso ohlalelwe wumsebenzi wokwenza kahle kwiChampions League.
“Izinguquko engizenzile bengivele ngizihlelile. Sihlalile eqhingeni lethu, ikakhulukazi njengoba ngesikhathi sekhefu bese siyenzile ingxenye yomsebenzi. Enye inhloso bekuwunika abadlali abangajwayele ukudlala okubalwa noJayden Adams. Bekubalulekile ukuthi sibanike ithuba nabanye abadlali.”