UTHANDAZELA ukuthi iqhubeke nasemdlalweni wamanqamu eNedbank Cup, inhlanhla yamagoli, u-Innocent Maela ongukaputeni we-Orlando Pirates ezobanga le nkomishi nezimbangi zayo ezinkulu, iMamelodi Sundowns.
Lo mdlalo obhekwe ngabomvu, uqala ngo-3 ntambama, namuhla eMbombela Stadium.
Iningi liwuthatha njengowamagqubu. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi ngo-Okthoba nyakenye, eZimnyama zivikele inkomishi yeMTN8 zishaya wona amaBrazilians.
Ikhona nenkulumo ethi iPirates ecijwa uJose Riveiro, kusukela kwiNedbank yangesizini edlule ibe nenhlanhla yokuphendla indlela ebheke kowamanqamu ngokubhekana namaqembu amancane.
Emqhudelwaneni wangesizini edlule, yadlala neCape Town All Stars, Venda Football Academy neDondol Stars. Ukudlala neqembu eliqinile yaze yakuthola kowandulela owamanqamu, ibhekene nomkhaya bayo, iKaizer Chiefs. Kowamanqamu yashaya iSekhukhune United.
Kulo nyaka iqale ngokubhaxabula iCrystal Lake ngo 6-0, yalandela ngokushaya iHungry Lions ngo 4-0. Ukudlala neqembu eliqinile ikuqale ngaMaZulu kuma-quarter-final. Umphumela walo mdlalo wasusa omkhulu umsindo, iningi likhala ngokuthi uSuthu lubanjwe inkunzi. IPirates yanqoba ngo 4-2.
Kowandulela owamanqamu ishaye iChippa United ngo 3-1. Esewonke amagoli asashaywe ngeZimnyama kulo mqhudelwano awu-17.
UMaela ukuphikisile ukuthi banenhlanhla yokudlala namaqembu amancane kwiNedbank.
"Umqhudelwano odlule nowalo nyaka ihlukene kakhulu. Kule sizini sidlale ibhola elihle nelinomfutho. Bakujabulele abalandeli bethu ukusibuka sidlala. Ubufakazi balokhu ukugcwala kwabo ezinkundleni uma sidlala. Okusinika ugqozi kakhulu isibalo samagoli esiwashayile. Sithandazela ukuthi nakowamanqamu kuqhubeke lokhu," kubeka uMaela.
Uqhube wathi nakuba bekuhlonipha ukuthi iSundowns ingompetha beligi kodwa abakugqizi qakala ukuthi bazobe bedlala nayo.
"Ukudlala owamanqamu into ehlala inkulu. Akukhathaleki ukuthi udlala nobani. Yebo, sizodlala nompetha beligi, sizobhekana neqembu elidlala kahle. Siyakuhlonipha lokho. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, asinandaba nakho. Okubalulekile ukuya kulo mdlalo, sifike sidlale ngendlela esihlele ngayo.“
UMaela uthe asisoze saphuma emqondweni isithombe eqala ukufukula inkomishi esengukaputeni.
Eyokuqala kwaba iMTN8 yangesizini edlule abayihlwitha kuMaZulu. Izintambo zobukaputeni wazithatha kuhamba uHappy Jele.
UMaela uthe kuyajabulisa ukuthi babe nesonto lonke ukulungiselela umdlalo. Uthe baqale ukuwuhlelela ngoLwesibili.
"Maphakathi nesizini bekunzima. Besingakwazi ukulungiselela imidlalo esikhathini esanele. Sizothola ithuba elanele lokuhlaziya iSundowns. Njengawo wonke amaqembu, kukhona lapho imandla khona nalapho ibuthaka ngakhona," kuphetha lo mdlali othe ufisela abadlali abasanda kufika bazizwele umuzwa wokunqoba neZimnyama inkomishi.