UMQEQESHI weMamelodi Sundowns, uRhulani Mokwena, ubhuqe i-Al Ahly ngothando nenhlonipho kungaphele sikhathi esingakanani eyitshele ekhaleni ngomkhuba wayo omubi wokukhala njalo ngokufakwa umunwe esweni ekubeni kuyiyona ekhononda ngazo zonke izinqumo zonondweba.
ISundowns ingene kowamanqamu we-African Football League (AFL) ngesikhathi inqoba ngo 1-0 sekuhlanganiswe yomibili imilenze yowandulela owamanqamu walo mqhudelwano.
Igoli likaThapelo Maseko alishaye kowomlene wokuqala ngeSonto, kube ilona elifaka iSundowns kowanqamu ezowudlala imilenze emibili neWydad Casablanca yaseMorocco.
Umlenze wokuqala walo mqhudelwano okuwinwa kuwona u-$4m (R73.7 million) useMorocco, ngeSonto, ngaphambi kokuthi usongwe ngoMgqibelo (Novemba 11), eNingizimu Afrika.
Ngaphambi kowomlenze wesibili ne-Ahly, uMokwena ushiye angalazi kuleli qembu alichaze njengelimethusayo ngokukhononda ngonondweba ngoba ngokwakhe, alikho iqembu elingcono kunabo (ngokukhalaza ngayo yonke into).
Ubekusho lokhu nje, i-Al Ahly ikhalaze ngemuva komlenze wokuqala, ithi incishwe iphenathi ngoba onompempe benqabile ukuyobuka isigameko besebenzisa ubuchwepheshe beVideo Assistar Referee (VAR).
“Kuyathusa ukuthi kukhona ekhononda ngakho i-Al Ahly ngoba umlando wayo uyaziwa nezindlela zayo zokuwina imidlalo.
“Iqembu elikhulu njenge-Al Ahly kufanele lifunde ukwamukela induku ikakhulukazi uma isitha kade singcono ngayo yonke indlela kunayo,” usho kanje uMokwena esithangamini nabezindaba ngaphambi komdlalo wangoLwesithathu.
Kulesi sithangami, uMokwena ubefunda ephepheni elimhlophe zonke izinto obekufanele ngabe zikhonondelwe iSundowns yathula, waphinde wafunda lapho abechaza ukuthi iSundowns ibingcono kangakanani kwi-Al Ahly kowomlenze wokuqala.
Emuva kokunqoba emlenzeni wesibili obushubile eCairo lapho uRonwen Williams, evimbe iphenathi ngesiwombe sokuqala, uMokwena ubesecula ingoma ehlukile nge-Al Ahly.
“Ngiyathemba wonke umuntu uyabona ukuthi angiliphethe iphepha kulokhu ngakho-ke ngize ngobuhle kwi-Al Ahly engiyithatha njengabangani beSundowns futhi engiyihloniphayo,” kusho uMokwena ngoLwesithathu ebusuku.
“Unobhutshuzwayo usenza sibe abangani sonke esixhumene nawo ngakho-ke ngiyayibongela i-Al Ahly ngebanga elihambile kulo mqhudelwano.
“Iqiniso ukuthi siwunqobe kowomlenze wokuqala umdlalo owandulela owamnqamu. Bekunzima kowomlenze wesibili kodwa umsebenzi siwuqede kowomlenze wokuqala.
“Indima edlalwe abalandeli bethu (kowomlenze wokuqala) kunzima ukuyichaza kodwa kungenxa yabo sikuleli zinga esikulona.
“Ngiyababongela abadlali beSundowns nabo bonke abaxhumene neqembu ngokufika kuleli zinga asebekulona kulo mqhudelwano obuhlanganisa zonke izinkunzi zase-Afrika,” kuphetha uMokwena.
Ithimba labezindaba leSundowns liqinisekise ukuthi leli qembu lizosuka e-Egypt liye ngqo eMorocco ngakho-ke seliyoze libuye kuleli ngesonto elizayo.