UMQEQESHI weMamelodi Sundowns, uRhulani Mokwena uzoke athi ukukubeka eceleni okwenzeke eTanzania ngempelasonto, agxile ekuhleleleni ukuthi amaphuzu amathathu uzowathatha kanjani kwiRichards Bay FC koweDStv Premiership namuhla ngo-7.30 ebusuku eLoftus Versveld.
UMokwena ukusho lokhu esithangamini nabezindaba kulandela ukubambana kwezakhe ngo 0-0 neYoung Africans SC (Yanga) yaseTanzania kowomlenze wokuqala we-quarter final yeCaf Champions League ngoMgqibelo ekuhambeni.
Ngaphambi kowomlenze wesibili oseLoftus ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku, iSundowns kufanele yamukele kule nkundla iBay edonsa kanzima kwiligi nokufakazelwa yindawo embi ehleli kuyona kwi-log.
Emuva kwalo mdlalo iSundowns ewuphathe wonke ngoMgqibelo eBenjamin Mkaba Stadium kodwa yahluleka ukuthola igoli lasekuhambeni, uMokwena ubuzwe ngokuhlukile azokwenza kowomlenze wesibili ukuze ezodlulela phambili kwiChampions League.
Nakuba impendulo yakhe ikubeke kwacaca ukuthi ngokwakhe iqembu lakhe selingenile kowandulela owamanqamu weChampions League, kodwa ububalulile ubumqoka bokuzixaka ngeBay kuqala.
“Angikungabazi ukuthi iSundowns izodlulela phambili kwiChampions League kodwa okumqoka okwamanje ukuphumula ngendlela eyanele bese siqala amalungiselelo okubhekana neRichards Bay.
“Okwamanje akukho engingakusho ngomdlalo womlenze wesibili neYanga ngoba sinomdlalo onzima ngoLwesibili (namuhla), neRichards Bay,” kuqhuba uMokwena.
ISundowns idlale neYanga ngaphandle kukangqondongqondo wayo ongukaputeni uThemba “Mshishi” Zwane onesigwebo samakhadi.
UMshishi usanda ukwenza ezibukwayo kwiBafana Bafana eshaya amagoli amabili idlala ne-Algeria ngesonto eledlule.
Akakufihlanga nokho uMokwena ukuthi isikhala sakhe sibonakele kodwa uthe uzowuqala nakanjani owangoLwesihlanu ekhaya.
“Badlale kahle bonke abebenikwe ithuba. Akekho engingakhononda ngaye yize isikhala sikaZwane siyohlale sibonakala, kwazise ungomunye wabaholi beqembu futhi wehlukile.
“Iqiniso ngomdlalo wethu neYanga ukuthi bekungowokuqala emuva kwekhefu lemidlalo yeFifa, ngakho-ke okwenzekile bekulindelekile.
“Uma sesifikile isikhathi sizogxila kwiYanga siqhamuke namaqhinga okuyehlula. Sizokuhlalela phansi lokho kodwa okwamanje sisabheke iRichards Bay esikuqondayo ukuthi ilwela impilo yayo esigabeni esikhulu,” kuphetha uMokwena.