UKUFIKA komgadli waseColombia, uJuan Camilo Zapata, kwiCape Town City, sekwenze usihlalo waleli qembu, uJohn Comitis, wabona isixazulekile inkinga yokugqoza kwamagoli.
UZabata (28) ubedlala kwiCD Hermanos Colmenarez yaseVenezuela, usayine kumaCitizens inkontileka yeminyaka emine.
UComitis umcoshe phansi njengoba ubengesenankontileka neColmenarez. Nakuba kungacaci ukuthi kungani iqembu lakhe elidala liqome ukungayivuseleli inkontileka yakhe kodwa kubukeka ubengomunye wabadlali bezinga eliphezulu.
Ngesizini edlule, ushaye amagoli awu-19 emidlalweni ewu-35. UZapata ufika eCape Town izinto zingezinhle.
Kowokugcina ngaphambi kokuya ekhefini leNdebe yoMhlaba, iCity ihlulwe ngo-2-1 iMarumo Gallants. Emidlalweni ewu-12, isanqobe emithathu kuphela, yadlala ngokulingana kwemine yase ihlulwa kwemihlanu. Kulesi sibalo semidlalo isashaye amagoli awu-11.
Kwenzeka lokhu nje, kunamaqembu afana neMamelodi Sundowns esivalele enethini awu-24. Isolezwe likhuluma noComitis, uzwakale emncoma kakhulu uZapata. Uze wathi ubona sebephumile enkingeni yokuhluleka ukushaya amagoli.
"Bekusiphoqa ukuthi sithole umgadli wezinga eliphezulu ofana noZapata. Sekuphele isikhathi eside silandela indlela adlala ngayo. Uyosho ukuthi ngakutshela, usazoba inkinga kwizitha zethu,“ kusho uComitis ngempelasonto.
UZapata wethulwe yileli qembu ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule. Lisanda kusayinisa noLorenzo Gordinho.
“Okuhle ukuthi uphile saka, sizokwazi ukumsebenzisa maduze. Akukuhle neze ukuthi emidlalweni ewu-12, sisanqobe imidlalo emithathu kuphela. Akukuhle futhi ukuthi kweyeligi sisashaye amagoli awu-11. Ukufika kukaZapata kuzosilekelela ukuthi sikwazi ukuqeda endaweni ehloniphekile," kubeka uComitis.
Kutheleka uZapata nje, kunemibiko ethi esinye sezithenjwa sikaComitis, uKhanyisa Mayo, sifunwa uthuli iMamelodi Sundowns. Ezinyangeni ezedlule, usihlalo wamaCitizens wayetshele leli phephandaba ukuthi ngeke amdayise lo mdlali. Wathi uzomyisa phesheya uma isikhathi sesikahle.
Nokho kubukeka uComitis engakunqeni ukudedela abadlali muva nje, phakathi kwabadlali asebededelwe yiCity, uTerrence Mashego noBradley Ralani abakwiSundowns, Abbubaker Mobara osekuMaZulu, Edmilson Dove osedlala kwiKaizer Chiefs. UCraig Martin udayiselwe i-Orlando Pirates azoyijoyina ngoJanuwari. ICity izobuyela enkundleni ngoDisemba 30, lapho izobe ibhekene neRoyal AM, eCape Town Stadium.