UKAPUTENI we-Orlando Pirates, u-Innocent Maela, ukholwa wukuthi banalo ikhambi lokwehlula iMamelodi Sundowns ebaphendule ithofi layo emidlalweni yakamuva.
IPirates izokwamukela iSundowns emdlalweni weDStv Premiership e-Orlando Stadium, eSoweto, ngo-7.30 ebusuku.
EZimnyama ziphuma endukwini ka 1-0 eyisithole kwiJwaneng Galaxy yaseBotswana kowomlenze wokuqala wokuhlungela isigaba samaqoqo seCaf Champions League.
Nokho asikho isikhathi sokuzikhotha amanxeba kwazise zihlalelwe wumsebenzi wokuqeda ukucanasa kweSundowns esijwayele ukuyehlula emidlalweni yakamuva. Emidlalweni eyisithupha phakathi kwala maqembu, iPirates isawine kanye, iSundowns iwine kwemine. Badlale ngokulingana kowodwa.
UMaela uthe abayingeni eyomlando.
"Singabadlali siyazi ukuthi sidlala neqembu elihle. Ngeke ukubalekele lokho. Kodwa siyakholelwa kithina. Siyazi ukuthi sibhekana kanjani nemidlalo enjena. Sinalo iqhinga. Okwethu wukuya enkundleni senze isiqiniseko sokuthi siyalenza ngakho konke esinakho. Asiyi emidlalweni efana nalona sicabanga osekwedlule. Siwafaka sonke amandla ethu emdlalweni, senze isiqiniseko sokuthi senza kahle," kusho uMaela.
IPirates isendaweni yesikhombisa kwi-log yePremiership ngamaphuzu ayisikhombisa ngemuva kwemidlalo emine. ISundowns isesicongweni ngamaphuzu angu-18 ngemuva kwemidlalo eyisithupha.
EZimnyama zinethuba lokulala kusasa sezibalwa namaqembu amane aphezulu kwi-log. Nokho konke kuncike ekutheni zithole amaphuzu amathathu kwiSundowns ezehlule ekhaya nasekuhambeni kweyeligi ngesizini edlule. IPirates igcine ukwehlula iSundowns kowandulela owamanqamu weMTN8.
Umqeqeshi wePirates, uJose Riveiro, uthe ufuna balenyuse kakhulu izinga kulokhu.
"Sesinaso isipiliyoni sokudlala neMamelodi Sundowns. Ngesizini edlule sidlale kane nayo. Umdlalo esiwudlale nabo eLoftus, sithole amathuba amaningi ngisho esiwombeni sokuqala. Ngicabanga ukuthi esiwombeni sesibili babengcono kunathi. Kwakubafanele ukuwina. Kweminye imidlalo ngicabanga ukuthi sidlale ngezinga elicishe lifinyelele kwesilifunayo. Yilokho esikufunayo ngoLwesithathu. Esikudingayo wukudlala ngezinga eliphezulu. Yilokho esikufunayo ngoba siyazi ukuthi uma sikulelo zinga, ngeke kube lula emaqenjini ukuthola amaphuzu. Imiphumela ngeke sikwazi ukuyilawula ngoba yibhola. Kodwa inhloso wukuwina ngendlela yethu. Yilokho okwenza saneliseke uma sicabanga ngekusasa," kusho uRiveiro.
ISundowns isinqobe yonke imidlalo eyisithupha selokhu kuqale iligi. Selokhu yagcina induku kwiligi ihlulwa iSuperSport United ngoSepthemba 2 nyakenye, okuyenza iqhube imidlalo engu-30 kungekho iqembu elikwazi ukuyiqumba phansi kwiDStv Premiership. IPirates kwiligi inemidlalo emine, inqobe emibili, yadlala ngokulingana owodwa, yahlulwa komunye.
Imidlalo yeDStv Premiership kuleli sonto:
Namuhla - Ngo-7.30pm: TS Galaxy v Cape Town City (Mbombela Stadium); Orlando Pirates v Mamelodi Sundowns (Orlando Stadium); SuperSport United v Kaizer Chiefs (Peter Mokaba Stadium).