UMQEQESHI uRoger De Sa, owayehola i-Orlando Pirates ngesikhathi igcina ukubhekana ne-Al Ahly kwiCaf Champions League, ukholelwa ekutheni eZimnyama zinawo amava okuphumelela eqoqweni elifakwe kulona yize ikhona ingozi.
UDe Sa owayewumqeqeshi wePirates ngo-2013, okuwunyaka iBucs eyashaywa ngawo yi-Al Ahly kowamanqamu weChampions League, akaliboni leli qembu - elidlalelwa nguPercy Tau - lingaba iqatha elingama emphinjeni wezikaJose Riveiro.
IPirates izovula lo mqhudelwano ngoNovemba 26, ngomdlalo wasekuhambeni neCR Belouizdad yase-Algeria edlalelwa ngumgadli waseNingizimu Afrika, uKhanyisa Mayo.
Okokuqala eminyakeni emihlanu iPirates eyadla isicoco ngo-1995, ibuyela kweyamaqoqo kulandela ukuphoxeka iminyaka ilandelana.
I-Al Ahly iyona ezovakasha kuqala eMzansi ngempelasonto kaDisemba 6 kuya 8. IPirates izovala eyamaqoqo ngomdlalo onzima oseCairo ngoJanuwari 17-19 ngonyaka ozayo.
“Kuhlale kuyindaba enkulu uma kuhlangene iPirates ne-Al Ahly kwiCaf kodwa kulokhu uRiveiro unesikwati esiqine kusuka enkundleni kuze kuyofika ebhentshini,” kusho uDe Sa kwiSolezwe Ngempelasonto.
“Mkhulu umehluko phakathi kwePirates yamanje nale engadlala ngayo ne-Al Ahly. Uma bezoya kuleli qoqo ngefomu abayikhombisa kulezi zinsuku nakanjani banethuba lokuhamba ibanga elide kwiChampions League.
“Angikholwa ukuthi i-Al Ahly yamanje iqine ngendlela okwakuqine ngayo le esadlala nayo. Kwakufana nokuthi sidlala neqembu lesizwe lase-Egypt ngoba cishe bonke abadlali bayo babeyingxenye yalo,” kusho yena.
UDe Sa oseke wasebenza eqenjini lesizwe lase-Egypt njengephini, uxwayise ngobungozi bokunaka i-Al Ahly kuphela kuleli qoqo.
“Kusemqoka ukuthi iPirates ibeke iso kwi-Al Ahly kodwa iqiniso wukuthi umthamo omkhulu wamaphuzu ukule eminye imidlalo ne-Abijan neBelouizdad.
“Ngiyalethemba nokho ithimba labaqeqeshi bePirates ukuthi ngeke lilenze iphutha lokuzixaka kakhulu nge-Al Ahly.
“Njengomuntu waseNingizimu Afrika onomlando nePirates, ngiyazi ukuthi iBucs inawo amava okudlula kalula eqoqweni okukhona kulona i-Al Ahly. Uma ikwenzile lokho indlela iyobe isicentiwe,” kusho uDe Sa.