UKUNGENA kweMamelodi Sundowns kowandulela owamanqamu weCaf Champions League kusho ukuthi seyikwenze lokhu amahlandla amabili kulandelana.
Ngesizini edlule yakhishwa yiWydad Athletic kule sigaba. Umlenze wokuqala eMorocco waphela ngo 0-0, iWydad yadlulela kowamanqamu ngenxa yokuhlohla amagoli amaningi ekuhambeni ngesikhathi la maqembu ebambana ngo 2-2 ePitoli.
ISundowns iwashise ijezi iqembu laseTanzania, iYoung Africans ngo 3-2 sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi emlenzeni wesibili we-quarter-final yeChampions League ngemuva kokuthi womabili amaqembu ehlulekile ukubhakuzisa inethi kuyona yomibili imilenze.
Iqembu likaMokwena lizobhekana ne-Esperance yaseTunisia kowandulela owamanqamu kulokhu. Lo mqeqeshi unethemba lokuthi bafunde lukhulu ekuphoxekeni abadlule kukhona phambilini kulo mqhudelwano.
“Kufanele ngibongele iqembu ngokuphinde lifinyelele kowandulela owamanqamu nokuyinto ebaluleke kakhulu. Ngiyaziqhenya ngabadlali, ithimba labaqeqeshi kanye neqembu lonkana. Kunzima ukudlala lolu hlobo lwemidlalo, abantu bayakhohlwa ukuthi le midlalo yeChampions League ingaba nzima kanjani,” kusho uMokwena.
“Ngake ngasho phambilini ukuthi iChampions League iqala okwangempela esigabeni somkhumulajezi. Le midlalo inzima kakhulu. Sesike sakhishwa kuma-quarter-final phambilini ngakho-ke kufanele sikujabulele lokhu.
“Ngizwa abantu abaningi bethi iSundowns iyona ethwelwe ngeqoma kodwa kufanele uwunqobe kaningi lo mqhudelwano ukuze kukhulunywe kanjalo. Iqembu alikwazi ukuba yizimfivilithi ngenxa nje yokuthi lidlala kahle, kufanele likwazi ukunqoba.
“I-Al Ahly ithole ithuba elilodwa emlenzeni wokuqala ibhekene neSimba, yalisebenzisa. Yinto abayenza njalo kulo mqhudelwano. Bayazi ukuthi kwenziwa njani ukuze uqhubekele phambili, okuyinto esizamayo ukuyifunda.
“Siya ngokuya sifunda ukubhekana nobunzima balo mqhudelwano ngoba amaqembu odlala nawo akunika izinkinga ezifanayo nalezi ozinika wona, ikakhulukazi emidlalweni yomkhumulajezi.”
Imidlalo eyandulela owamanqamu phakathi kweSundowns ne-Esperance izodlalwa kule nyanga. Umlenze wokuqala uzodlalelwa eTunisia ngempelasonto eqala ngo-Ephreli 19 kuthi owesibili udlalwe eNingizimu Afrika ngempelasonto eqala ngo-Ephreli 26.
Komunye owandulela owamanqamu, ompetha i-Al Ahly bazodudulana neTP Mazembe yaseDemocratic Republic of Congo.
Khonamanjalo iYanga ibhalele iCaf incwadi icela le nhlangano eyengamele ibhola e-Afrika ukuba ibuyekeze indlela onompempe abaphathe ngayo umdlalo wayo neSundowns.
Leli qembu likholwa wukuthi lixhoshiwe ngokuphikelwa igoli okubonakale sengathi liweqile ulayini kodwa unompempe obephethe waseMozambique obephethe umdlalo, uDahane Beid, wangaya kobheka emshinini we-Video Assistant Referee ukuqinisekisa.