UMDLALI wasesiswini we-Orlando Pirates, uThalente Mbatha, akafuni bakufake emiqondweni ukuthi yibona abathwelwe ngeqoma ukwedlula izimbangi zabo iKaizer Chiefs ekunqobeni umdlalo wabakhaya baseSoweto.
UMbatha (24) usethubeni lokungena esikimini esizoqala umdlalo okokuqala kowabakhaya baseSoweto phakathi kwePirates neChiefs eFNB Stadium, eNasrec, ngoMgqibelo ngo-3.30 ntambama.
IPirates engagayelwa mphako kulezi zinsuku nesanda kwedlulela kuma-quarterfinal eCaf Champions League ngokubhaxabula izingqungqulu zase-Egypt i-Al Ahly, iningi labalandeli bebhola namaphanta ngeke basolwe ngokuyithwala ngeqoma. Ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, abalandeli beZimnyama balimisa ngesihloko elokuthi bazowaxebula ngenqwaba yamagoli Amakhosi.
Nokho, kuyinto eyaziwayo ukuthi ifomu ayisho lutho emdlalweni wezinkunzi zaseSoweto ohlukanisa phakathi iNingizimu Afrika.
“Wumdlalo omkhulu kithi sonke lo, ikakhulukazi njengoba siyiqembu elineningi labadlali abasebancane. Bonke abadlali eqenjini bazimisele ngokulwela ukuwunqoba lo mdlalo ukuze sisondele kulaba abaphezulu kunathi kwi-log (iMamelodi Sundowns),” kusho uMbatha.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi bonke abalandeli bakholelwa ekutheni kuzonqoba iqembu abalilandelayo kulo mdlalo. Ngakho asikufakile emiqondweni yethu ukuthi yithina esisefomini nokuthi yithina esisethubeni lokuwunqoba lo mdlalo.
“Esikwaziyo wukuthi siyiqembu elillwela isicoco seligi, ngakho lona kuzoba wumdlalo onzima kodwa okufanele silwele ukuwunqoba, sandise amathuba ethu okuhlala phezulu kwi-log.”
UMbatha udlale okokuqala kowabakhaya ngesikhathi behlula iChiefs ngo 3-2 nakuba engene sekusele imuzuzu embalwa umdlalo uphele. Kulokhu, isimo sihluke kakhulu kwazise igama lakhe selibalwa nabhalwa kuqala uma umqeqeshi, uJose Riveiro, ebophela isikimu. Emasontwei adlule, ujabulise abalandeli beZimnyama eshaya igoli bebhekene neCR Belouizdad.
“Ukuza kwami la kwiPirates kungivule amehlo ngezinto eziningi, ngiyakhula umdlalo nomdlalo futhi ngiyafunda kozakwethu engibafice eqenjini. Umdlalo walolu hlobo (wabakhaya) ngikholwa wukuthi udinga kakhulu ukuthi umqondo wakho uwugxilise kakhulu, uhlale uqaphile, uthathe nemiyalelo kozakwenu. Okubaluleke kunakho konke wukusebenza ngokubambisana njengeqembu emdlalweni onjengalona kunokudlalela ukugqama wena. Ngakho ngingakuthokozela kakhulu ukuzibona ngidlala kuwona,” kusho uMbatha.