AKAGCINI ngokugcizelela ukuthi iMamelodi Sundowns iseyingxenye yeCaf Champions League umqeqeshi wayo uRhulani Mokwena, uzishaya isifuba ngendlela iqembu lakhe athi likhonye ngayo i-Esperance Sportive de Tunis emlenzeni wokuqala owandulela owamanqamu obusekuhambeni.
ISundowns ikhale ngaphansi ngo 1-0 kwi-Eseperance Sportive deTunis u laseTunisia, eStade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi eTunisia ngoMgqibelo.
EzikaMokwena bezikwazi ukuphatha ibhola kulo mdlalo kodwa kubenzima ukugqobhoza udonga lwezitha.
Lokhu kuphatha kweSundowns umdlalo uqala kwaze kwaba uyaphela ekuhambeni, yikona okwenza uMokwena angabi navalo ngaphambi kokwamukela i-Esperance ngoLwesihlanu eLoftus Versveld, eTshwane.
Nakuba uMokwena nethimba lakhe benconywa ngokuwaphula wonke amarekhodi minyaka yonke, iChampions League isalokhu iliceze njalo leli qembu laseChloorkop kusukela yayidla ngo-2016 ngaphansi kobuholi bukaPitso “Jingles” Mosimane.
“Sengiyibuke kaningi i-Esperance eminyakeni edlule ibhekene namaqembu athathwa njengamakhulu e-Afrika kodwa angikaze ngiyibone ililandela ibhola njengoba kwenzekile ibhekene nathi,” kusho uMokwena esithangamini nabezindaba emuva komdlalo.
Uqhubeke ngokuthi: “Kusemqoka nokho ukubongela i-Esperance ngokuhamba phambili ngesikhathi sekhefu somdlalo ngoba isiwombe sesibili sisekhaya ngesonto elizayo.
“Ngizishaya isifuba ngendlela abadlali bami abenze ngayo kulo mdlalo. Yize kunezikhathi lapho bekumele sithwale khona kanzima, kodwa lokhu besikwenza sibumbene njengeqembu okuyinto engizishaya isifuba ngayo.
Uthe iSundowns iseyingxenye yeChampions League njengoba isazodlala ekhaya lapho engangabazi khona ukuthi abalandeli babo bazophumangobuningi babo ukuzokweseka abadlali beqophelo eliphezulu abanabo.
Akananazanga ngobumqoka bokunika i-Esperance inhlonipho eyifanele uma sebedlala ekhaya, okumkhuthaza kakhulu wukuthi nabebengekho (Tebogo Mokoena) bazobe sebekhona.
“Eqinisweni besihlele ukuthi uMokoena awuqale umdlalo we-Esperance kodwa sabuye sazikhuza ngoba sibhekela isikhathi esikusona sesizini nobumqoka bokuba umqemane ngokugcwele kwabadlali abamqoka njengaye,” kuphetha uMokwena.
Ngaphambi kokuthi iSundowns yamukele i-Esperance ngoLwesihlanu kumele iqale ilungise indaba yayo yamaphuzu neSekhukhune United ngaphansi kweDStv Premiership kusasa ngo-7.30 ebusuku eLoftus Versveld.