UTHANDAZELA ukuthi iqembu lakhe lingawulahli umgqigqo omuhle elivale ngawo ngaphambi kokuthi kuyiwe ekhefini leFifa umqeqeshi waMaZulu FC, uPablo “Cijimpi” Franco Martin.
Usuthu belusanda kuqeda irekhodi elibi lokuba yithofi lomkhaya balo iLamontville Golden Arrows ngesikhathi imidlalo yeligi imiswa ngenxa yemidlalo yamazwe.
EzikaCijimpi ziqale ngokubawashisa ijezi kwiCarling Black Label Knockout Abafana Bes’thende, zibaxebula ngo 3-0 kuma-quarterfinal. Ziphinde zabajikela esiswini njengotshwala koweDStv Premiership zinqoba ngo 3-1kade sezilandela ngemuva.
Phezu kwalokho, Usuthu seludlale imidlalo emihlanu ilandelana emiqhudelwaneni ehlukene, lungasazi isibhaxu. Lunqobe emithathu, ladlala ngokulingana kwemibili. Selukhuphuke lwahlala endaweni yesishiyagalombili kwi-log yeDStv Premiership ngamaphuzu angu-15 emidlalweni engu-11.
“Iqembu liyathuthuka kodwa alikafiki ezingeni engifuna libe kulo. Manje akusona isikhathi sokuzithela ngabandayo uma sifuna ukuba yiqembu elikhulu, sidinga ukuqhubeka nokuthuthuka nsuku zonke,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
“Ngeke sishaye amagoli amathathu nsuku zonke. Ngeke siyinqobe yoke imidlalo. Besingelona iqembu elibi ngesikhathi siphikwa yimiphumela futhi akusho ukuthi sesiyiqembu eliphezulu njengoba sesithole imiphumela emihle.
“Sizama ukubuyela esimweni esijwayelekile ngemuva kwezikhathi ezinzima esidlule kuzo kanye nekhefu leFifa. Kuliqiniso ukuthi kwesinye isikhathi uma iqembu lenza kahle ufisa liqhubeke ukuze lingalahlekelwa umgqigqo.
“Kumele sikubheke kodwa nokuthi kube yithuba elihle lokuthi abadlali nabaqeqeshi baphumule, ikakhulukazi emuva kwakho konke esibhekane nakho emasontweni edlule.”
Usuthu luzodlala olandelwayo weDStv Premiership neStellenbosch FC eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngoMgqibelo ngo-3.30 ntambama.
Njengoba ezikaCijimpi ziye ekhefini zihambela phezulu, kuhambe kanjalo nakwiStellies nayo engasazi isibhaxu kwemihlanu edlule emiqhudelwaneni ehlukene.
Iqembu likaSteve Barker lisendaweni ka-11 kwi-log ngamaphuzu angu-14 emidlalweni engu-11 futhi lingelinye lamaqembu amane azodlala kweyandulela owamanqamu eCarling Black Label Knockout.
“Bayiqembu elihle kakhulu, bayakwazi abakwenzayo nokuthi bakwenzelani. Banabadlali abashisayo phambili, abadlali abasheshayo nabathatha izinqumo ezinhle. Lokho bakwenza kangcono kakhulu kunamaqembu amaningi kule ligi.
“Ngokwami ayibafanele indawo abakuyona kwi-log. Amalungiselelo ethu asahamba kahle kodwa kufanele sinyuse izinga njengoba isonto liqhubeka uma sifuna ukuthola amaphuzu amathathu enkundleni yethu,” kusho uPablo Martin.
Ngesikhathi la maqembu ebhekene ngesizini edlule, AmaZulu anqoba ngo 1-0 ekhaya, iStellies sabuyisa izinduku sanqoba ngo 2-0 enkundleni yaso.