OWAYEYINJINI ye-Orlando Pirates, uVincent Sokhela, ugxeka ukuba 'ngamarobhothi' kwabadlali baleli qembu okuholele ekukhishweni kwalo emqhudelwaneni iCaf Champions League.
IPirates iwashiswe ijezi yiJwaneng Galaxy yaseBotswana emzuliswaneni wokugcina wokuhlungela isigaba samaqoqo. EZimnyama zihlulwe kumaphenathi ngo 5-4 kulandela ukwehluleka kwazo ukushaya igoli lesibili ebelidingeka. Umdlalo wazo neJwaneng obuse-Orlando Stadium ngempelasonto edlule, uphele ngo 1-0, kuhamba zona phambili. Kodwa lo mphumela ubungenele njengoba ubusho ukuthi amaqembu abambene ngo 1-1, kwazise iJwaneng yathola umphumela ofanayo kuyiyona esekhaya emlenzeni wokuqala. IPirates ibidinga ukushaya igoli elingaphezulu kwelilodwa ukuze inqobe.
Bekungokokuqala emlandweni iqembu laseMzansi likhishwa emqhudelwaneni weCaf ngelaseBotswana.
USokhela owayekhona ngesikhathi eZimnyama ziwina iChampions League ngo-1995, uthe ukungaqondakali kwesikimu nokuhluleka kwabadlali ukuzicabangela enkundleni yikhona okwenzela phansi leli qembu.
"Kubukeka sengathi asinaso isiqiniseko ngesikimu sethu. Kunabadlali okungacaci ukuthi kwenzekani ngabo okunguThembinkosi Lorch noVincent Pule. Abasabonwa kwiPirates futhi asazi ukuthi yini eyenza bengadlali," kusho uSokhela owayeyibamba enkabeni yenkundla.
"Okunye wukuthi abadlali abayishintshi indlela yokudlala yomqeqeshi ngisho kucaca ukuthi ayisebenzi. Baqhubeka nayo kuze kuphele umdlalo. Bona ngathi bangamarobhothi nje. Akekho ozicabangelayo ukuthi angibajike ngibavule ngoba akungeneki. Uma ungumdlali uyazicabangela okuzoba yisixazululo enkundleni."
Umbuzo ngokungadlali kukaLorch noPule kwiPirates usuqhamuke kaningi kubalandeli kodwa umqeqeshi uJose Riveiro akafuni ukuwuphendula. Uke wabuzwa ngabo kodwa wangaphumela obala ngokubabambile, ezivikela ngokuthi akakhulumi ngomdlali ngayedwana.
Lo mqeqeshi unomthwalo wokukhuthaza abafana bakhe ngaphambi kowamanqamu weMTN8 neMamelodi Sundowns eMoses eMabhida Stadium, eThekwini, ngoMgqibelo, ngo-6 ntambama.
IPirates ihluleke emidlalweni emithathu ilandelana ukushaya amagoli ngaphambi kowomlenze wesibili neJwaneng.
Izongena enkundleni, eMabhida kuyiyona evikela indebe yeMTN8 eyiwine ngesizini edlule iyisheba neyeNedbank Cup.
"Inkinga abantu abebeyivula iSundowns okunguLorch noPule abekho. Yibona abantu abebephendula amatafula uma kunzima. Kodwa ke emdlalweni wamanqamu kungenzeka noma yini," kusho uSokhela.