UMQEQESHI weMamelodi Sundowns, uRhulani Mokwena, ukhulekela ukuthi bangaficwa isikhathi esizobaphoqa ukuthi baliklaye phakathi iqembu ngenxa yokuthothana kwemidlalo yemiqhudelwano abayingxenye yayo.
Ngaphezu kokumelwa imidlalo yeDStv Premiership neyeCarling Black Label Knockout eqala kuleli sonto, iPremier Soccer League (PSL) igunyaze leli qembu ukudlala kwi-African Football League (AFL).
Ngeledlule, isigungu esiphezulu sePSL sihlangane isigubhukane lapho kuphunywe khona nesivumelwano sokuthi iSundowns ikhululwe ukuba ingxenye yalo mqhudelwano, (onentshontsho likaR75 million) osanda kwethulwa ngumengameli weConfederation of African Football (Caf), uPatrice Motsepe.
Okusobala-ke nokho ukuthi lokhu kuvunyelwa i-PSL kuyayixina iSundowns ngemidlalo kwazise eminye imidlalo iyashayisana ngokwahlukana kwale miqhudelwano.
UMokwena ebuzwa ukuthi kuzokwenzeka yini ukuthi badinge ukusiklaya phakathi isikwati nethimba labaqeqeshi, uthe wethemba ukuthi ngeke kuze kufike lapho.
Umdlalo weSundowns weLast 16 weCarling Knockout neTS Galaxy, usondeziwe, usuzoba ngoLwesithathu njengoba ngoMgqibelo ezikaMokwena zidlala ekuhambeni nePetro Atletico de Luanda yase-Angola kowe-AFL.
Kule nyanga, iSundowns izodlala kwiDStv Premiership, Carling Knockout, nakwi-AFL.
“Kungenzeka ukuthi ngiyazikhohlisa kodwa iSundowns inabadlali abanele ukuyidlala yonke imiqhudelwano esiyingxenye yayo kodwa angifisi ukuthi kufike isikhathi lapho kufanele iqembu lihlukaniswe khona phakathi,” kusho uMokwena.
“Akuyona into entsha ukuthi iSundowns idlale imiqhudelwano eyahlukene ngesikhathi esisodwa futhi lokhu sikubuka njengethuba lokubasebenzisa bonke abadlali esinabo emabhukwini eqembu.
“Okusihlalele ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bonke abadlali bakulungele ukusiza iqembu ngaso sonke isikhathi abazodingeka ngaso njengoba senzile nangesizini edlule lapho kudlale khona abangu-35 kwabangu-36,” kusho uMokwena.
Nakuba lo mqeqeshi ekhuluma kanje kodwa kuzocaca maduze okuningi ngendlela iSundowns ezozenza ngayo izinto kwazise ingase ibhekane neGalaxy ngesikimu esihlukile kwesijwayelekile.
Imbangela yalokhu ukuthi uRonwen Williams, Themba Zwane, Mothobi Mvala, Tebogo Mokoena, Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau noGrant Kekana bonke bazobuya kuleli ngalo belu uLwesithathu neBafana Bafana enomdlalo wobungani ne-Ivory Coast kusasa ekuhambeni.
Uma uqaphela lokhu uphinde uqhathanise nokuthi iSundowns isabambe umoya ngokululama koThapelo Morena, Bathusi Aubaas, Aboubeker Nasir, Lesiba Nku noLucas Ribeiro, isithombe sihlala obala ngokuthi kungani uMokwena engase aphoqeleke ukushintsha isikimu.
Imidlalo ye-AFL yomlenze wokuqala kuma-quarter final ithakwe kanje:
NgoLwesihlanu: Simba SC (Tanzania) v Al Ahly (Egypt).
NgoMgqibelo: TP Mazembe (DRC) v Esperance (Tunisia); Petro Atletico (Angola) v Mamelodi Sundowns.
NgeSonto: Enyimba (Nigeria) v Wydad Casablanca (Morocco).