UKUSONGA kweMamelodi Sundowns isicoco seDStv Premiership kusasele imidlalo eyisikhombisa kuwushiya ezimbangini zaseSoweto umbango wendawo yesibili ehamba negunya lokumela iPremier Soccer League (PSL) kwiCaf Champions League.
Ngokwezibalo iSuperSport United iyona kuphela ebisengafica iSundowns kwazise kuqale imidlalo yangempelasonto isendaweni yesibili kodwa yagcina ikweyesine kulandela ukubanjwa kwayo iChippa United ngo 1-1.
Yize lokhu (ukulahla amaphuzu kweSuperSport) bekuqinisekisa ukuthi iSundowns isisidlile isicoco sesithupha seligi kulandelana kodwa bekuqala umbango wendawo yesibili okungangatshazwa ukuthi uzoshuba phakathi kwe-Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs neSuperSport. Wonke la maqembu abambene ngamaphuzu awu-40. Ahlukaniswe amaphuzu, okubeka iPirates endaweni yesibili, ilandelwe i-United bese kuba iChiefs kweyesine.
Ngemuva kokuthi iPirates ithele phansi iRichards Bay FC ngo 2-0, eKing Zwelithini, eMlaza, umqeqeshi wayo uJose Riveiro, ukubeke kwacaca ukuthi kabazimisele ukugudluka kule ndawo asebekuyona.
Kulo mdlalo eZimnyama zinqobe ngamagoli kaTerrence Dzvukamanja noMonnapule Saleng.
Ukuzinikela nokuba yimiqemane kwabadlali abamqoka ngesikhathi esikahle kwiPirates kukhuphula ukuzethemba kuRiveiro, ngamathuba okuqeda endaweni ezofaka leli qembu kwiChampions League ngesizini ezayo.
“Ngeke sikufihle ukuthi siyayifuna indawo yesibili kodwa siyazi ukuthi akuthina sodwa esiyifunayo ngakho-ke kufanele sibengcono kokuningi kule midlalo esele ukuze siyithole,” kusho uRiveiro esithangamini nabezindaba ngoMgqibelo.
“Kungihlaba umxhwele engikubona kubadlali bami abaqatha ngokwanele bonke njengoba kusobala ukuthi umbango wendawo yesibili uzoshuba,” kusho uRiveiro oqondayo ukuthi lokhu akufisayo kungangenzeka.
Emidlalweni esalele iPirates kukhona oweCape Town City, Royal AM neSekhukhune ekhaya kanti ekuhambeni kusele eyeChippa, TS Galaxy, naMaZulu FC.
Umqeqeshi weChiefs u-Arthur Zwane onqobe okwesine kulandelana kwiligi eshaya iStellenbosch FC ngo 2-1 ngoMgqibelo, e-FNB Stadium, naye uthe bayibhekile indawo kwiChampions League. Ozoyithola uzobe ehambisana neSundowns engompetha beligi.
“Siyafuna ukuba ingxenye yeChampions League ngesizini ezayo. Umuzwa engiwuzwe kulo mqhudelwano ngiseyiphini ungenza ngifune ukubuyela khona nalaba badlali,” kusho uZwane esithangamini nabezindaba ngoMgqibelo.
“Ngaphandle komuzwa owaziwa imina, lokhu kuzovulela abafana ithuba lokuzwa imidlalo emqoka ezingeni lezwekazi okuzolandela ngokuba usizo nakwiBafana,” kulandisa uZwane.
Imidlalo yeChiefs yokusonga isizini kusele iMarumo Gallants, Swallows FC neCape Town City kweyasekhaya.
Kweyasekuhambeni kusele iSekhukhune United, Chippa neSuperSport.
ISuperSport isalelwe iGalaxy, Stellenbosch, AmaZulu neChiefs kweyasekhaya, bese kuthi ekuhambeni kube eyeMarumo Gallants neSekhukhune.
Iqembu elizoqeda endaweni yesithathu lizodlala kwiCaf Confederation Cup.