UZOBE ematasatasa ehlelela ingxenye yesibili yesizini ngesikhathi abanye abadlali bakhe besahlabe ikefu, abanye bebambe iqhaza ku-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), umqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns, uRhulani Mokwena.
AmaSandawana aqede unyaka ka-2023 eqhwakele kwi-log yeDStv Premiership ngamaphuzu angu-35 emidlalweni engu-13 ngesikhathi edlala ngokulingana ngo 0-0 nePolokwane City emdlalweni wawo wokugcina wonyaka ngempelasonto edlule.
Ngaphambi kwalokho, abebambane ngo 0-0 neCape Town City. Leli qembu beliyinqobe yonke imidlalo engu-11 yeligi kule sizini ngaphambi kokulahla amaphuzu kwemibili yakamuva.
Emzuliswaneni wokuqala kule sizini amaBrazilians ashaywe yi-Orlando Pirates kowamanqamu eMTN 8, akhishwa yiTS Galaxy kwiLast 16 kuCarling Black Label Knockout Cup, anqoba isicoco sokuqala se-African Football League eguqisa iWydad Athletic yaseMorocco kowamanqamu.
Ebuzwa ukuthi uzozinika yini isikhathi sokuphumula kusaqhubeka i-Afcon ezodlalelwa e-Ivory Coast kusukela ngoJanuwari 13 kuya kuFebhuwari 11, uMokwena uthe akaboni ukuthi kuzokwenzeka lokho.
“Angazi ukuthi ngizokwazi yini ukwenza lokho. Impilo engiyiphilayo ihlangene nebhola. Enye yezintatheli ike yaxoxa nobabomkhulu uDkt Jomo Sono, wathi akazi ukuthi nginawo yini umbhede. Iyona mpendulo-ke leyo,” uchaze kanje lo mqeqeshi.
“Ngiyazama. Bonke abantu bayangitshela ukuthi kufanele ngike ngiphumule, ngikhohlwe yibhola kancane. Ngeshwa, angikwazi ukukwenza lokho. Ngihlale ngicabanga izindlela zokuthuthukisa iqembu.
“Ngingakhala kanjani ngobuthongo ekubeni umkhulu wami ongasekho (uEric ”Scara“ Sono) adlula emhlabeni ngenxa yebhola? Walahlekelwa yimpilo yakhe. Ubabomkhulu (uJomo Sono) washiya umshado wakhe, usuku olubaluleke kakhulu empilweni yakhe ngenxa yebhola. Wenza izifungo wabe esehamba kodwa manje abantu bathi angilale, ngiphumule, ngikhohlwe ibhola.
“Ngingaphansi kwengcindezi enkulu. Leyo ngcindezi ayibangwa ngabanye abantu, yinto engizifakela yona ngenxa yegama lomndeni engiphuma kuwo. Iyona mpilo engiyiphilayo futhi kuzobanjalo ngize ngiyeke ukuqeqesha.”
Umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, uHugo Broos, uqoke abadlali abangu-10 beSundowns eqenjini lakhe elizogijima ku-Afcon. UMokwena uthe abanye abadlali bazohlaba ikhefu ngaphambi kokubuya sebezolungiselela ukubuya kwemidlalo.
“Ngizotshela abadlali ukuthi balale futhi baphuze amanzi amaningi. Ngizotshela laba abazodlala kwi-Afcon ukuthi bawujabulele umqhudelwano. Ngiwubheke ngabomvu umdlalo wangoJanuwari 21, 2024 (phakathi kweBafana neNamibia).
“Abanye abadlali kufanele bathokoze nemindeni yabo, sengiyobabona uma sesihlangana futhi sesizozicijela ingxenye yesibili yesizini.”
AmaBrazilians asedlale imidlalo engu-30 emiqhudelwaneni ehlukene kusukela kuqale isizini ngo-Agasti. UMokwena uthe nakuba abanye abantu bengazishaya indiva lezi zibalo kodwa bakhona abavumile ukuthi zinomthelela kubadlali.
“Kukhona ongoti abathile ababona sengathi iqembu alikhathele ngakho-ke uma kukhona ochwepheshe abazi kangcono, kulungile. Ngike ngezwa uHugo Broos ethi abadlali beSundowns bafike ekhempini edlule bekhombisa ukukhathala ngokomzimba nangokwengqondo,” usho kanje.
“Angikaze ngikhale ngokukhathala futhi angikaze ngikhale ngesibalo semidlalo. Angikaze ngithi vu kodwa ngibazwile abantu bethi asikwazi ukusebenzisa isibalo semidlalo njengezaba. Baqinisile ngoba bazi kangcono, yibona ochwepheshe.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi iqembu lisengathuthuka. Ikhefu lizosiza kancane ukuze siphumuze imiqondo. Engingakusho kubalandeli beSundowns ukuthi kufanele baqine ngempela manje ngoba kuzoba nzima kakhulu njengoba sesizobheka ngasekupheleni kwesizini.”
ISundowns izobuyela enkundleni ngoFebhuwari 14 izobhekana neLamontville Golden Arrows emdlalweni weligi ekuhambeni.