UMQEQESHI weMamelodi Sundowns, uManqoba Mngqithi, unethemba lokuthi abadlali bakhe bazovula isigaba samaqoqo seCaf Champions League sebehlile ubuhlungu bokuphunyukwa yisicoco seCarling knockout.
AmaBrazilian azovula imidlalo yawo kuGroup B ngokugadulisana neqembu laseDemocratic Republic of Congo, iManiema Union, eLoftus Versfeld namuhla ngo-6 ntambama.
EzikaMngqithi zibuye zilambatha kowamanqamu eCarling eBloemfontein ngoMgqibelo ngesikhathi zithelwa phansi yiMagesi FC ngo 2-1.
Lo mqeqeshi uthe unethemba lokuthi abadlali bakhe sebesesimweni esingcono ngokwengqondo njengoba bezoqala umqhudelwano ohlukile.
“IChampions League neligi yasekhaya iyona miqhudelwano esemqoka kakhulu kithina. Ngeke kulunge siqhuzuke kuyona. Kufanele senze ubulungiswa kubalandeli bethu, ibhodi leqembu, kithina kanye nemindeni yethu. Lona wumqhudelwano ebesilokhu sizama ukuwunqoba ngakho-ke kufanele sizinikele ukuze iqembu okungenani lingene kowamanqamu, bese siyabona ukuthi kwenzekani,” kusho uMngqithi.
“Akulula ukuqinisekisa ukuthi imiqondo yabadlali isibuyele lapho ufisa ukuthi ibe khona kodwa ngokubona kwami ngibona iqembu selibuyele endaweni efanele. Wonke umuntu uyazazi izinselelo esidlule kuzo. Iqembu libukeka lisesimweni esihle. Okusemqoka wukuqinisekisa ukuthi abadlali abakhathele ngoba ngeke sikwazi ukubeka izaba.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi iqembu esinalo manje liqine ngokwanele futhi lingayinqoba iChampions League. Kufanele sikholwe manje futhi ngiyethemba ukuthi ukuhlelwa kwemidlalo ngeke kusidalele izinkinga. Ngikholwa wukuthi sinakho okudingekayo ukuze sidle isicoco seChampions League kulo nyaka. Yinto ebengivele ngiyihlosile kusukela ekuqaleni kwesizini.”
ISundowns ingene esigabeni samaqoqo ngokuhlula iMbabane Swallows yaseSwatini ngo 8-0 uma sekuhlanganiswe yomibili imilenze.
I-Maniema idlule kwiNgezi Platinum yaseZimbabwe sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi emzuliswaneni wokuqala wokuhlunga, yakhipha iPetro de Luanda ngo 2-1 kowesibili.
“Kuzoba wumdlalo onzima kakhulu. Abantu abaningi abayazi iManiema kodwa ngenhlanhla sesike sabhekana nayo phambilini. Ukukhipha kwabo iPetro kusho lukhulu,” uqhube kanje uMngqithi.
“Bayiqembu elisezingeni eliphezulu elizoba wuhlupho kumakhona nama-freekick ngenxa yokuthi linabadlali abasukile egadeni futhi abanamandla. Ngeke sikwazi neze ukudembesela ngoba silindele ukuthi basifakele ingcindezi,” kuphetha yena.