IQHAWE le-Orlando Pirates eliyisize yakhonya ku-Group C weCaf Champions League, uRelebohile Mofokeng, lituse ukuzikhandla kozakwabo ekubeni bekufana nokuthi bavaleleke emphandwini wamabhubesi.
UMofokeng ukusho lokhu kulandela ukunqoba kwePirates kwi-Al Ahly yase-Egypt ngo 2-1 emdlalweni wokugcina wesigaba samaqoqo ngoMgqibelo, eCairo International Stadium, e-Egypt. Amagoli ePirates ashaywe nguMofokeng noTshegofatso Mabasa.
Bekungokwesithathu emlandweni iPirates ishayela i-Al Ahly ekhaya kodwa okumqoka kakhulu ngale wini wukuthi iqinisekisa ukuthi ezikaJose Riveiro yizona ezigcine ziqhwakele kuleli qoqo elalibhekwe ngabomvu ngaphambi kokuqala kwemidlalo yalo.
“Besivele sikuqonda ukuthi sizothwala kanzima kulo mdlalo njengoba kwenzekile kodwa ukuzinikela engikubone kozakwethu kungenze ngakukholwa ukuthi singawina eCairo,” kusho uMofokeng ethimbeni leCaf labezindaba ngemuva komdlalo.
“Besibhekene neqembu elivikela isicoco esibayeni salo futhi okwaziwayo ukuthi alidedeli lutho kusona, ngakho-ke kufanele sizigqaje ngesiphumelele ukukwenza.
“Lo mphumela uwubufakazi bokuthi iPirates inganqoba noma kuphi kungakhathekile ukuthi ibhekene nobani kunoma yimuphi umqhudelwano.
Ukudla kwePirates iqoqo akugcini ngokuyinika igunya lokugwema amanye amaqembu aqede phezulu kwamanye kodwa kuyinika nethuba lokuwudlalela ekuhambeni owomlenze wokuqala wama-quarterfinal.
Womabili la mabhonasi amqoka kwiChampions League njengoba isikuvuthondaba. Nakuba iCaf ingakalusho usuku okuzoqhathwa ngalo amaqembu adlulele kuma-quarterfinal kodwa imidlalo yomlenze wokuqala izoba ngoMashi 28.
Inkulumo yakhe uMofokeng uyijobelele ngokuveza isifiso sokungabe besawudedela lo mgqigqo ngoba kungenzeka ukuthi bazifakele isithunzi ngokushaya i-Ahly.
“Engikufisayo ngalo mphumela wukuthi usikhumbuze njalo ukuthi siyiqembu eliqine kangakanani njengoba siqhubeka nalo mqhudelwano okungangatshazwa ukuthi usuzoba nzima kakhulu.
“Okunye okufanele sikukhumbule wukuthi lo mphumela uzokwenza ukuthi noma ngabe ubani esiqhathwa naye awakhiphe wonke amangwevu, ngakho kusemqoka ukuqaphela kusuka manje.
“Ngineme ngokunqoba eCairo ngoba akuyona into ejwayelekile kunoma yiliphi iqembu kodwa okwehla kahle kakhulu wukuthi siqede iqoqo siqhwakele,” kusho uMofokeng.
Amanye amaqembu esishicilele esezibekisele indawo kuma-quarterfinal yi-Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan), Pyramids (Egypt), Esperance (Tunisia), AS FAR (Morocco) neMC Alger (Algeria).