ISIMO i-Orlando Pirates ekusona singase siphoqe uJose Riveiro ashintshe indlela yokwenza emuva kokungasishintshi isikimu kwazise imiphumela yemidlalo emibili elandelayo kwiBetway Premiership izocacisa okuningi ngomjaho wesicoco seligi.
IPirates esele ngamaphuzu angu-16 kwiMamelodi Sundowns esicongweni se-log yize inemidlalo emine esandleni, izovakashela iStellenbosch namuhla ngo-7.30 ebusuku koweligi e-Athlone Stadium, eKapa. Emuva kwalokho, eZimnyama zizobhekana neSundowns emdlalweni obhekwe ngabomvu ozoba se-Orlando Stadium ngeSonto ntambama.
IPirates izobhekana neStellies nje, kade igadulisana neSuperSport United emdlalweni we-quarterfinal yeNedbank Cup odlalwe kwaze kwafikwa emizuzwini engu-120 ngaphambi kokuthi inqobe sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi.
Lokhu kubeka uRiveiro esimweni esibucayi sokukhetha ukuqhubeka nesikimu esijwayelekile koweStellies noma abongele iSundowns abanye abadlali abamqoka. Kwenzeka lokhu nje, lo mqeqeshi waseSpain usephumele obala kaningi ethi akathandi ukushintsha isikimu futhi lokho kubonakele emidlalweni eminingi abaningi abangayithatha njengeyokuphumuza abadlali.
“Noma ngabe ukholelwa kuyiphi indlela yokubophela abadlali kodwa uma udlala kwiligi yaseNingizimu Afrika nabanekhanda eliqine njengelami bagcina bephoqeka ngoba kuvele kulimale abadlali abamqoka ngesikhathi esibi,” kusho uRiveiro esithangamini nabezindaba ngemuva kokunqoba kwiSuperSport ngempelasonto edlule.
Kusemqoka ukuthi uRiveiro alehlise igebe lamaphuzu elivulwe yiSundowns kodwa lokhu kumphoqa ukuba kweminye imidlalo abaphumuze abadlali abajwayele ukuyiqala cishe yonke (imidlalo) ngoba kuseza neCaf Champions League esikuvuthondaba.
Ezimnandi kwiBucs ngalo mdlalo wukuthi uyabuya esigwebeni samakhadi uNkosinathi Sibisi kanti no-Olisah Ndah usengabonakala noma yinini ngokusho kwethimba lePirates labezindaba.
Nokuthola imizuzu kwabadlali okubalwa kubona uBandile Shandu noPaseka Mako kungamsiza lo mqeqeshi uma egcina ewuguqulile umqondo.
Useluleme uDeano van Rooyen ozobe ebhekene neqembu abengukaputeni kulona uma uRiveiro ezoqhubeka naye njengoba enzile koweSuperSport. Kubagadli, sekusondele abuye uZakhele Lepasa osekunesikhathi eside egabonakali ngenxa yokulimala.
UKabelo Dlamini noTshegofatso Mabasa abeqiwe ngoweSuperSport, kulindeleke ukuthi kube yibona abaqala umdlalo weStellies kwazise bazofika kuwona bephumule ngokwanele.