UKUDLULELA emzuliswaneni womkhumulajezi njengelinye lamaqembu aqhwakele eqoqweni kunikeza uRhulani Mokwena ithemba lokuthi bangenza kangcono kwiCaf Champions League kulo nyaka.
AmaBrazilian aguqise iTP Mazembe yaseDemocratic Republic of Congo ngo 1-0 emdlalweni wokugcina wamaqoqo obuseLucas Moripe Stadium, e-Atteridgeville, ngempelasonto.
Kungenwe kuwona sekwaziwa ukuthi womabili amaqembu asezibekisele indawo kuma-quarter-final kodwa ukunqoba kweSundowns kuqinisekise ukuthi iqeda esicongweni ngamaphuzu angu-13, iMazembe yalala isibili ngamaphuzu angu-10.
EzikaMokwena zinqobe imidlalo emine, zalahla amaphuzu kabili kweyamaqoqo. Zanqotshwa yiMazembe ngo 1-0 ekuhambeni, zadlala ngokulingana ngo 0-0 nePyramids ekhaya.
“Ngabona sifakwe eqoqweni elinzima ngesikhathi kuqhathwa amaqembu, ngakho-ke senze kahle kakhulu ukuze siqhwakele kulona. Sike sadlula esikhathini esingesihle silahla amaphuzu sibhekene nePyramids neMazembe kodwa sakwazi ukubuya. Sikhombise ukuqina ngokomqondo kanye nokuzimisela,” kusho uMokwena opheka iSundowns.
“Sesike sadlula kulo mzila phambilini futhi siyazi ukuthi sakhutshwa yini nokuthi yini okumele siyilindele. Besikugcizelele ukubaluleka kwalo mdlalo, ikakhulukazi njengoba sahlulwa eLubumbashi, yize sadlala kahle. Sidlale kangcono kulo mdlalo, besiwuphethe futhi besingashaya amagoli athe xaxa.”
AmaSandawana asezobheka ukuthi azoqhathwa naliphi iqembu kuma-quarter-final phakathi kwe-Esperance yaseTunisia nezinkunzi zaseTanzania, iSimba SC neYoung Africans.
Ukuqhwakela kwezikaMokwena kusho ukuthi ngeke ziqhathwe namaqembu aqede esicongweni emaqoqweni awo, okuyi-Asec Mimosas, Al Ahly nePetro de Luanda, kanjalo neMazembe, abadlale nayo esigabeni samaqoqo.
Lo mqeqeshi uthe akukho mqoka ukuthi bazodllala naliphi iqembu kodwa into abayibhekile ukuqhubekela phambili kulo mqhudelwano.
Leli qembu lisahluleke kanye ukudlula esigabeni samaqoqo selokhu lanqoba isicoco seChampions League ngo-2016. Nokho sekuyinhlalayenza ukuthi lingene kweyomkhumulajezi bese liwashiswa ijezi lingakafiki kowamanqamu.
“Angiboni ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthi sizodlala nobani esigabeni esilandelayo. Ngenhlanhla iqembu lethu, okuhlanganisa nalabo abahlela izinto kanye nabaphathi, bayakwazi ukulungiselela lezi zimo ngoba sekukaningi sifinyelela kuma-quarter-final.
“Kuyisifiso seqembu ukuthi singagcini nje ngokuba ngelinye lamaqembu ahamba phambili e-Afrika kodwa liphinde laziwe umhlaba wonke. Uma selaziwa ezindaweni eziningi njengaseBrazil, ngenxa yohlobo lwebhola elilidlalayo, kungabanjani uma lingase libe yingxenye yeFifa Club World Cup?
“Yilokho iqembu elikuhlosile futhi okumele sikusebenzele kanzima. Ngikholwa wukuthi kungenzeka ngenxa yezinga esikulona nokwesekwa esikuthola eqenjini lonkana.”
Iqembu elizonqoba iCaf Champions League lizomela i-Afrika kwiFifa Club World Cup elandelayo lapho lizoqhathwa khona nompetha bamaqembu bakwamanye amazwekazi.