UBONA ithuba lokufunda uRulani Mokwena, ngemuva kokuthi iqembu lakhe, iMamelodi Sundowns, libanjwe iStellenbosch ngo-1-1 emdlalweni weDStv Premiership eDanie Craven Stadium ngempelasonto.
ISundowns ibizishosholozela kwiligi yakuleli njengoba iye eKapa isinqobe imidlalo engu-15 kulandelana.
Ngenxa yalo mgqigqo we’Downs, isiyabalwa imidlalo okufanele iyinqobe ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi isingompetha beligi ihlandla lesithupha kulandelana.
Ngokusho kukaMokwena kwabezindaba emuva komdlalo obuseKapa, ukubanjwa iStellies kufane nesibusiso esizobabuyisela kwamhlaba njengoba sekungena isigaba esinzima sesizini. Uthe ulindele ukuthi abadlali bakhe bazikhandle ngokungaphezulu emidlalweni ezayo ngoba sebebonile ukuthi “abagqoke nsimbi.”
“Yize sihlale njalo sizama ukuwina imidlalo esibhekene nayo, siyazi ukuthi ngeke siwine yonke,” kusho uMokwena kwabezindaba.
“Ukucazelana ngamaphuzu neStellenbosch akuzange kungijabulise neze kodwa indlela esiyiwina ngayo imidlalo yenza sizidinge izifundo ezifana nalesi.
“Yebo kubuhlungu ngoba kufana nokuhlangana nesibhakela (esinzima) kodwa azize lezi zifundo ngoba zizosikhumbuza ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthi asiyigqokile insimbi.
“Okuyikhona okumqoka ukuthi sizovuka kanjani kulesi sifundo esisitholile? Njengomqeqeshi weSundowns, ngisesimeni lapho ngamukela khona ukuqhuzuka ngoba kuzolandelwa izifundo ezizoba usizo eqenjini njengoba imidlalo elandelayo iya ngokuya ibamqoka,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
Uphinde wagoloza uMokwena ukuphawula ngemibiko ekhomba ukuthi abadlali bakhe ababili, u-Andile Jali noSipho Mbule, bafike ejimini benswanswa emasontweni adlule.
“Eminye yemisebenzi yami njengomqeqeshi weSundowns, ukuvikela isithunzi seqembu kanjalo nabadlali balo ngakho-ke anginayo impendulo,” kusho yena ebuzwa ngalokhu. Nangesonto eledlule ngemuva komdlalo weMarumo Gallants, uMokwena ucashunwe ethi uzobavikela abadlali bakhe futhi akukaze kwenzeke lokhu okubikwayo.
Ngomdlalo neStellenbosch, uMokwena uthe uyalamukela iphuzu kodwa ukholwa wukuthi bebekufanele ukunqoba. Yibona abahambe kuqala ngegoli likaCassius Mailula esiwombeni sesibili, kwathi u-Iqraam Reyners wabeka iphenathi yokulinganisa yeStellies.
“Sifuna ukuyiwina yonke imidlalo. Ngokwami, besingcono kuneStellenbosch umdlalo uqala kwaze kwaba yilapho bethole khona iphenathi.
“Ngikhuthazekile nokho ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi emdlalweni olandelayo ngizothola umfutho ongaphezulu kwalo engiwuthole eKapa ngoba abadlali bami kubaphatha kabi ukungalenzeli kahle iqembu.
“Bonke abadlali bami bangabantu abaqotho ngakho bayabuqonda ubumqoka bokulwela ukubeka iSundowns eqhulwini ngaso sonke isikhathi,” kusho uMokwena.
Umdlalo weSundowns olandelayo okaGroup B weCaf Champions League nezimbangi zayo ezinkulu i-Al Ahly yase-Egypt, ngoMgqibelo, ngo-3 ntambama, eLoftus Versveld. Umdlalo wokuqala phakathi kwala maqembu uphele zibambene ngo-2-2 ekuhambeni. ISundowns izihola phambili ngamaphuzu ayisikhomisa kuleli qoqo.