AKANAVALO ngokuthi ezakhe zingehlisa izinga kulandela ukunqoba isicoco se-African Football League umqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns, uRhulani Mokwena.
AmaSandawana aguqise iWydad Athletic yaseMorocco ngo 2-0 emlenzeni wesibili kowamanqamu eLoftus Versveld ngeSonto ntambama. Inqobe ngo 3-2 uma sekuhlanganiswe imilenze yomibili njengoba ibidliwe ngo 2-1 emlenzeni wokuqala eCasablanca.
Ngaphandle kokuqinisekisa ukuthi igama leMamelodi Sundowns liba ngelokuqala ukuqoshwa kule ndebe entsha sha, leli qembu lasePitoli liphinde lemuka nesheke lika-4 million USD (R74. 90 million).
Nokho uMokwena uthe abadlali bakhe bayakuqonda ukuthi kusekuningi okumele bakulwele.
"Bayazi ukuthi bazoba senkingeni enkulu (uma bezithela ngabandayo). Leli yiqembu elikhethekile. Sahlulwa ngo 2-1 eCasablanca, kwathi uma sesizilolonga ngakusasa nabadlali ababengadlalanga bazimisela kakhulu. Kwakungathi sihlulwe ngo 5-0 ngendlela abazikhandla ngayo,” kusho uMokwena kwabezindaba ngemuva komdlalo.
"Yilokhu okwenza leli qembu likhetheke kakhulu. Umuzwa wobumbano, ukwethembeka nokuzinikela kwabo. Angikhathazekile ngokuthi bazokwehlisa amasokisi futhi ngeke ngikuvumele lokho."
UMokwena uthe yize benqobile kodwa kusemqoka ukuhlaziya umdlalo wabo neWydad.
"Ngisazowubuka umdlalo ngihlaziye indlela iqembu elidlale ngayo, lokho kusabalulekile ngisho noma sinqobile. Abadlali bebethi 'asingawabheki amaphutha' kodwa bayazi ukuthi kuzokwenzeka lokho ngoba kukhona okumele kulungiswe. Sifuna ukuthuthuka ngaso sonke isikhathi."
Emizuliswaneni yokuqala ye-AFL, iSundowns ishaye iPetro Atletico yase-Angola ne-Al Ahly yase-Egypt ngaphambi kokuqumba phansi iWydad kowamanqamu. La maqembu womathathu yiwona abelimise kabi leli qembu emiqhudelwaneni yakamuva yeCaf Champions League.
AmaBrazilians asalwela ukuphinde ayithathe le ndebe agcina ukuyinqoba ngo-2016. UMokwena uvumile ukuthi iChampions League inezinselelo eziningi. Uthe bazoqhubeka nokusebenza kanzima ukuze bathuthuke nakulo mqhudelwano.
Bazoqala isigaba samaqoqo ngokubhekana neNouadhibou yaseMauritania ngoNovemba 24. Amanye amaqembu abaqhathwe nawo kuGroup A yiPyramids yase-Egypt neTP Mazembe yaseDemocratic Republic of Congo.
“Kunzima kwiChampions League ngoba kumele uthathe izinqumo ezinqala, siyagxekwa ngezinye zazo, njengokubeka u-Abdelmounaim (Boutouil) kwesokunxele kodwa zikhona izizathu zokwenza lezi zinto,” kusho uMokwena.
"Sizama ukubheka ukuthi kufanele sithuthuke kanjani. Kwesinye isikhathi kuba wukushintsha abadlali kodwa kwesinye isikhathi kuba yizinguquko ezincane emaqhingeni ethu. Kwesinye isikhathi siphazanyiswa ukulimala kwabadlali abamqoka.
“Kulukhuni kakhulu ngoba kunabadlali abangakazinzi kahle, abadinga ukunikwa isikhashana. Kuthathe isikhathi ukuthi nami ngiwujwayele lo mqhudelwano, amandla adingekayo nezinye izimo ezinzima esibhekana nazo.
“Kunzima futhi nokudlala njalo ezinsukwini ezimbili noma ezintathu, ukuhambela amazwe ehlukene nokukhathala kwabadlali. Ngike ngibuke imidlalo yePSL ngibone abaqeqeshi bekhala ngokulimala kwabadlali yize bengenawo umthwalo wokudlala emazweni ehlukene ase-Afrika.
"Asikagculiseki ngezinga esikulo, sicabanga ukuthi singadlala kangcono futhi sizodlala kangcono. Ubunzima esibhekene nabo wukuthi izinsuku zokuzilolonga azanele. Njengoba kuyikhefu leFifa ngizolahlekelwa ngabadlali abazoya emaqenjini abo esizwe. Kuzomele futhi nabanye ngibanike isikhathi sokuphumula ngoba uhlelo lwethu belumatasa kakhulu,” uphethe kanje.