UMQEQESHi wamaZulu FC, uFranco Pablo Martin, uthi ngeke ingene nakancane emiqondweni yabo eyokuthi iRichards Bay ilwela ukuvika izembe njengoba bezobhekana nayo koweDStv Premiership.
La maqembu azodudulana kowomkhaya baKwaZulu-Natal ozoqala ngo-7.30 ebusuku eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza.
INatal Rich Boyz ilahle ithuba eliyingqayizivele lokushovela iCape Town Spurs ehlathini ngesikhathi ibhekene nayo e-Athlone Stadium ngoLwesihlanu. Lo mdlalo ugcine unqotshwe yiqembu laseKapa ngo 1-0 ngegoli elishaywe ngu-Azola Jakalashe umdlalo usuyophela.
Lo mphumela ushiye iSpurs emsileni ngamaphuzu angu-15 emidlalweni engu-25. Isisele ngamaphuzu amahlanu kwiBay. Ngakulunye uhlangothi, Usuthu luqoqe amaphuzu agcwele lushaya iChippa United ngo 2-1 eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngoMgqibelo.
“Silapha ukuzozenzela thina, hhayi abanye abantu. Ngicabanga ukuthi ugqozi lukhona kubadlali ngaphandle kokuthi mina njengomqeqeshi ngisho okuthile. Ngesizini edlule, ngicabanga ukuthi uma ngingaphosisi AmaZulu adlale imidlalo eyisishiyagalombili yomkhaya, adlala ngokulingana kwemine ahlulwa kwemine. Kule sizini ngicabanga ukuthi sinqobe emine sadlala ngokulingana kwemibili,” kusho uFranco Martin.
“Njengamanje siyiqembu elihamba phambili KwaZulu-Natal, uma sibheka imidlalo esiyidlale sodwa. Lokhu kuyinto ebaluleke kakhulu eqenjini, kumengameli, kubalandeli, kithina njengabaqeqeshi nakubadlali. Yinto esiziqhenyayo ngayo ukubona iqembu lihamba phambili esifundazweni, into osekunesikhathi eside ingenzeki.
“Ngenye yezingxenye zalo mlando omncane esiwubhalayo kwiligi, kwiCarling Cup nakwiNedbank Cup. Akukakabi umlando omkhulu esifuna ukuwuqopha esikhathini esizayo kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi ngezinye zezinyathelo ezizokwenza sifinyele ekwenzeni izinto ezinkulu. Ukukhonya KwaZulu-Natal yisinyathelo sokuqala esizosidlulisela kwezinye izinto.”
Usuthu lunamaphuzu angu-31 emidlalweni engu-35, okwenza libe ngelinye lamaqembu asembangweni oshisayo okuqeda kwiTop 8. UFranco Martin uthe umdlalo wabo neBay bawubona njengethuba lokwandisa amaphuzu emgodleni ukuze bafeze leli phupho.
“Into engingayithandi wukuthi izimbangi zethu (iRichards Bay) zidlale izolo (ngoLwesihlanu) thina sadlale namuhla (ngoMgqibelo). Sizoba nesikhathi esincane sokuthi abadlali balulame nesokuziqeqesha,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
“Lokho kusho ukuthi sizoya emdlalweni singazilungiselelanga ngokuphelele futhi singasitholanga isikhathi esanele sokuphumula. Lezo zimo zingadala ukuthi umdlalo ungalingani kuwona womabili amaqembu.
“Sizozama ukukhombisa izinga lethu elingcono futhi ngiyethemba ukuthi sizophinde sithole umphumela omuhle, siqhubeke nokulwela iTop 8. Lokho kukodwa kuyisizathu esihle sokuthi sizame ukuwunqoba lo mdlalo. Uma siqeda isizini kwi-Top 8 kungaba yisizini emangalisayo.”
Ngesikhathi la maqembu ebhekene okokuqala kule sizini eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngo-Agasti adlala ngokulingana ngo 0-0.