AKANAVALO umqeqeshi weCape Town City, u-Eric Tinkler, ngegebe elingase livuleke eqenjini lakhe kulandela ukuhamba kobengumgadli wabo wokuqina, uKhanyisa Mayo.
Lo mgadli usayine inkontileka yeminyaka emithathu neqembu lase-Algeria, iCR Belouizdad. Ubesehlale amasizini amathathu kwi-The Citizens selokhu afika kuyona ekuqaleni kweka-2021/22 esuka kwiRichards Bay FC.
Ugqame kakhulu kumasizini amabili edlule. Ngeka-2022/23, wahlohla amagoli angu-13 emidlalweni engu-29, kwathi ngeka-2023/24 washaya angu-11 emidlalweni engu-31. ICity isiqede konke nomgadli wase-France u-Amadou Soukouna (32) kodwa akakalijoyini iqembu ngenxa yokuthi kusalungiswa amaphepha amgunyaza ukuba angene kuleli.
Lo mgadli oke wadlala kwi-Maritzburg United kuleli, ngesizini edlule ubengijima eqenjini laseThailand, iBangkok United, kodwa kuvela ukuthi uhlale kuleliya lizwe kwaze kwadlula isikhathi abesigunyaziwe.
UTinkler uthembe nomdlali waseNamibia, uPrins Tjiueza, ongakwazanga ukudlala emzuliswaneni wesibili ngesizini edlule ngenxa yokulimala, nomgadli osemncane, uJody Ah Shene.
“UMayo ube namasizini amabili amahle kakhulu. Bekubhalwa njalo emaphepheni ukuthi kukhona amaqembu amfunayo. Ngasho ngaphambilini ukuthi siyiqembu elingasoze lamvimba umdlali uma efuna ukuthuthuka futhi enze impilo yakhe ibe ngcono,” kusho uTinkler kwabezindaba.
“Bekufanele sihlale sisiqaphile leso simo. Abantu abaningi bacabanga ukuthi senze izinto sesixhamazela kanti kade saqala ukuzilungiselela sibheka ukuthi yibaphi abadlali abangavala isikhala sakhe.
“Sinaye umuntu ozongena endaweni yakhe kodwa ngeshwa akavumelekile ukungena kuleli okwamanje. Siyethemba ukuthi yinto esizoyixazulula maduze. UJody ulinyusile izinga kanti noPrins useluleme. Baningi abadlali esizokhetha kubona.”
I-The Citizens izovula isizini ngokubhekana neSekhukhune United kwi-quarterfinal yeMTN8 ePeter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane, namuhla ngo-3 ntambama.
“Inhloso yawo wonke amaqembu aku-PSL ukuqeda kwiTop 8 ngoba kuza nethuba eliyingqayizivele. Umklomelo usuwu-R10 million, ongawuthola ngokudlala kahle emidlalweni emine. Yithuba elihle kubadlali lokuthola amabhonasi. Ngicabanga ukuthi wonke umuntu uwubheke ngabomvu umdlalo,” uqhube kanje uTinkler.
“Sonke sazi kahle ukuthi sizobhekana neqembu eliyingozi futhi eliyisonge ngamandla isizini edlule. Kuzoba wumdlalo onzima kodwa kuzomele sizimisele.”
Komunye umdlalo wama-quarterfinal we-MTN8 iMamelodi Sundowns izodudulana nePolokwane City eLucas Moripe Stadium kusasa ngo-3 ntambama.