UMQEQESHI we-Orlando Pirates, uJose Riveiro, akafisi okwamanje ukubhekana neMamelodi Sundowns abasethubeni lokuyitomula kuma-quarterfinal eCaf Champions League.
URiveiro ubekhuluma nabezindaba ngemuva kokuba ezakhe zibhaxabule iBaroka FC ngo 3-1 emdlalweni weNedbank Cup Last 16 e-Orlando Stadium, eSoweto, ngempelasonto. Womathathu amagoli ePirates ashaywe nguTshegofatso Mabasa. EZimnyama zizongena esigqokweni ngoLwesine, eQatar, njengoba kuzoqhathwa amaqembu azodlana imilala kuma-quarterfinal eChampions League naweConfederation Cup.
IPirates neSundowns baphakathi kwamaqembu ayisishiyagalombili azobe eqhathwa koweChampions League.
Imidlalo yemilenze yokuqala yama-quarterfinal izoba ngo-Ephreli 1-2. Eyemilenze yesibili izoba ngo-Ephreli 8-9.
URiveiro uthe nakuba engenankinga nokududulana neSundowns kodwa akafisi kwenzeke kuma-quarterfinal.
“ISundowns ngelinye lamaqembu esingaqhathwa nawo. Kungakuhle futhi uma singaqhathwa nabo ngoba lokho kobe kusho ukuthi asizukuhamba ibanga elide ukuyodlala. Kanti futhi kungaba yinto enhle kuwona womabili amaqembu ngoba siyazana futhi sisazophinda sihlangane ngoMashi 15 (koweligi),” kusho uRiveiro.
“Njengethimba labaqeqeshi siyaxoxa sisodwa sibheke ukuthi yiliphi iqembu okungaba ngcono ukuqhathwa nalo uma sekuqhathwa, ngokwendlela esidlala ngayo ibhola ngaleso sikhathi. Uma singaqhathwa neSundowns, kungaba ngumdlalo omkhulu ezweni, ongaphinda uthathe amehlo abathandi bebhola abaningi. Nokho, ngokwami angifisi siqhathwe neSundowns kulesi sigaba somqhudelwano. Mhlawumbe kungaba ngcono uma singaqhathwa kwesinye isigaba somzuliswano, hhayi manje.”
URiveiro ukhuluma kanjena nje, eZimnyama zibhaxabulwe ngamaSandawana ngo 4-1 koweligi emasontweni amabili adlule emdlalweni weBetway Premiership. Abalandeli bebhola eMzansi bakubheke ngabomvu ukuthi ziphinde ziqhuthane kwiChampions League nakuba lokhu kuzoholelela ekutheni kusale elilodwa emaqenjini aseNingizimu Afrika.
Ngokwedlulela kwezakhe kuma-quarterfinal eNedbank, uRiveiro uqhakambise ukubaluleka kokudlalisa abadlali abangajwayele ukudlala kweminye imidlalo njengoba iseminingi abasozoyidlala okubalwa kuyona eyePremiership neyeChampions League.
“Sisebebenzise lo mdlalo (weBaroka) ukunika ithuba abanye abadlali abangajwayele ukudlala. Kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi sikwazile ukwedlulela emzuliswaneni olandelayo. Sesidlulele kulokho manje, sesibheke umdlalo olandelayo weligi.”
EZimnyama zibuyela ensimini ngomdlalo weBetway Premiership neLamontville Golden Arrows ngoLwesithathu, ngo-7.30 ebusuku, eMpumalanga Stadium, eHammarsdale.