UBONA iqembu lakhe likulungene ukubhekana noxhaxha lwemidlalo umqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns, uRhulani Mokwena, njengoba lisayibambe emiqhudelwaneni emithathu.
AmaSandawana aqhwakele kwi-log yeDStv Premiership (ngamaphuzu awu-55), naseqoqweni lawo kwiCaf Champions, lapho aseqoqe khona amaphuzu ayisikhombisa emidlalweni emithathu.
Asakhona amaqenjini azodlala kwiNedbank Cup Last 16. Azodudulana neMarumo Gallants eFree State Stadium, eBloemfontein, ngo-6 ntambama.
EzikaMokwena zikhiphe iRichards Bay FC ngo-3-2 lwi-Last 32 yalo mqhudelwano, kanti aBahlabane Ba Ntwa bafike kulesi sigaba kulandela ukuguqisa iMagesi FC ngo-3-1.
La maqembu ayebhekene ngqo kowamanqamu walo mqhudelwano ngesizini edlule, kwanqoba iSundowns ngo-2-1 esikhathini esengeziwe.
Womabili awanqobanga kweyeCaf ngempelasonto edlule. ISundowns ibambane ne-Al Ahly yase-Egypt ngo-2-2 kowamaqoqo weChampions League ngoMgqibelo, iGallants yadliwa i-USM Alger yase-Algeria ngo-2-0 ngeSonto.
“Ukudlala inqwaba yemidlalo into ebesiyilindele futhi esiyilungiselele ngakho akusithusi. NgoDisemba, besiziqeqesha ngendlela eyenze sijwayele ukudlala imidlalo elandelana eduze,” kusho uMokwena.
“Yingakho sinabadlali abaningi futhi abasezingeni eliphezulu. Kufanele sisebenzise abadlali esinabo ukuze sinikeze iqembu ithuba lokunqoba yonke imiqhudelwano esibambe iqhaza kuyo.
“Siyalithemba iqembu lethu nabo bonke abadlali bethu. Siya kuyona yonke imidlalo ngenhloso yokuyinqoba. Umuzwa wethu owokufuna ukuwina, hhayi iNedbank Cup kuphela kodwa yonke imiqhudelwano esidlala kuyo.”
Ngesikhathi iSundowns neGallants bedudulana koweDStv Premiership ngo-Okthoba, iSundowns yanqoba ngo-1-0 ngegoli elashaywa nguSphelele Mkhulise esiwombeni sokuqala.
Kulowo mdlalo, iGallants yayisanda kubuyisa umqeqeshi uDan Malesela kulandela ukushiya kukaRomain Folz. Sekuphinde kwenzeka ezinye izinguquko kuleli qembu njengoba uMalesela emisiwe ekupheleni kukaJanuwari, indawo yakhe yathathwa nguDylan Kerr.
"Kuzomele sishintshe imiqondo manje ngoba siya emdlalweni wendebe neqembu elinabadlali abahle kakhulu. Bashintshe abaqeqeshi bafaka uDylan (Kerr) okungumuntu esimhlonipha kakhulu,” uqhube kanje uMokwena.
"Likhuphukile izinga labo lokuzethemba ngenxa yokubamba iqhaza kwiConfederation Cup. Banabadlali abanamava abafana no (Letsie) Koapeng, Lehlohonolo Nonyane, Lebohang Mabotja, nabanye abasezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu.
"Silindele umdlalo womkhumulajezi osezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu futhi siwubheke ngabomvu," kuphetha uMokwena.