OWAYEYINJINI yeMamelodi Sundowns, uBennet Mnguni, ukholwa wukuthi umqeqeshi waleli qembu osanda kuthatha izintambo, uMiguel Cardoso, kukhona okuhle azokwenzela leli qembu inqobo nje uma ezonikwa ithuba.
UCardoso (52) odabuka ePortugal, uthathe izintambo zokuqeqesha kwiSundowns maphakathi noDisemba esuka kwi-Esperance de Tunis yaseTunisia kulandela ukukhonjwa indlela kukaManqoba Mngqithi.
Lo mqeqeshi unengcindezi enkulu yokuqhubeka nokugcina umgqigqo wokuzuza izicoco kwaleli qembu eselidle eseligi yePremiership amasizini ayisikhombisa elandelana. Okuyikhona okubhekwe kakhulu kuyena wukuthi aweze ngelibanzi lezi zingqungqulu zasePitoli kwiCaf Champions League okuwumqhudelwano owehlule abaqeqeshi iminyaka eyisikhombisa. ISundowns yagcina ukunqoba lo mqhudelwano ngo-2016 ngaphansi komqeqeshi uPitso Mosimane.
“Umqeqeshi ngamunye ofikayo eqenjini ufika nendlela yakhe yokusebenza namaqhinga awasebenzisayo ngeke afane nalawo abesetshenziswa ngumqeqeshi ongaphambi kwakhe. Angikholwa wukuthi kufanele aqhathaniswe nabaqeqeshi abebekhona phambilini kwiSundowns, engingabala kubo uPitso Mosimane, Rulani Mokwena noManqoba Mngqithi ngoba unesakhe isitayela,” kusho uMnguni owanqoba isicoco seligi yePremiership kabili neSundowns phakathi kwesizini ka-1998/99 neka-1999/2000.
“Kule midlalo emihlanu esengiyibukile eqeqesha uCardoso, ngingasho ngokungangabazi ukuthi ikhona le nto eza nayo. Iqembu lidlala kahle futhi libuya nemiphumela emidlalweni eliyidlalayo okuyiyona nto ebalulekile.
Selokhu efikile unika bonke abadlali ithuba, okuyinkomba yokuthi ufuna bonke bayiqonde indlela yakhe yokudlala.
Ngakho akanikwe ithuba, uyayazi into ayenzayo. NangoMgqibelo ngesikhathi iSundowns ihlulwa yiRaja (Casablanca) yadlala kahle, kwaba yikho-ke nje ukuthi ezinye zezinqumo zikanompempe azigculisanga nokuyinto vele ejwayelekile ikakhulukazi uma amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika edlala nawaseNyakatho ye-Afrika.”
Emidlalweni emihlanu ethathe izintambo, uCardoso usanqobe emithathu yeBetway Premiership, owodwa weChampions League. Uhlulwe okokuqala ehlulwa yiRaja Casablanca yaseMorocco kowesigaba samaqoqo seChampions League ngeledlule.
AmaSandawana asendaweni yesibili kuGroup B ngamaphuzu amahlanu ngemuva kwe-AS FAR ehlezi phezulu ngayisishiyagalombili. Asenethuba lokuzibekisela indawo kuma-quarterfinal alo mqhudelwano njengoba esazodlala imidlalo emibili yokusonga isigaba samaqoqo.
Azobhekana neManiema Union yaseDemocratic Republic of Congo ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama eStade des Martyrs, eKinshasa. Azovala ngomdlalo wasekhaya ne-AS FAR ngoJanuwari 19 eLoftus Versfeld Stadium, ePitoli.