ISITOBHA se-Orlando Pirates, uThapelo Xoki, sivumile ukuthi umphumela womdlalo wabo womlenze wokuqala kweyandulela owamanqamu weMTN8 neMamelodi Sundowns, uzosidweba sicace isithombe ngegebe eliphakathi kwabo neqembu laseChloorkop.
UXoki osayine kwiPirates esuka kuMaZulu ngasekuqaleni kwesizini, ukusho lokhu kwabezindaba izolo, eGoli. Yilapho iqembu belidalula amalungiselelo alo okubhekana neDowns abayihleli emhlane kwi-log yeDStv Premiership.
IPirates esendaweni yesibili kwi-log, izokwamukela iSundowns eqhwakele koconsisa amathe weMTN8 ngoMgqibelo ngo-3.30 ntambama, e-Orlando Stadium.
Indlela iPirates eqinise ngayo njengoba bekuvuleke iwindi lokuhwebelana ngabadlali yenze kwanomuzwa wokuthi isike ngokwanele ukuthi ingasigudlula kujantshi isitimela seSundowns esesishosholoze neligi yaseNingizimu Afrika, amasizini amahlanu elandelana.
Ziningi izinongo kulo mdlalo njengoba uKermit Erasmus, ebuyele kwiBucs ngoba exoshwa indlala yejezi eChloorkop.
Nakuba uXoki eqale wangena ezintangeni kepha ugcine evumile ukuthi umphumela walo mdlalo obhekwe ngabomvu, uzohamba ibanga elide ukubadwebela isithombe ngegebe eliphakathi kwabo neSundowns evikela isicoco seMTN 8.
“Ngeke sikuphike ukuthi umdlalo usinika ithuba lokuzikala igebe phakathi kwethu neSundowns,” kusho uXoki izolo ntambama.
“Ngaphezulu kwalokhu, usinika nethuba lokubona ibanga esingalihamba kulo mqhudelwano uma uzoqaphela nokuthi iSundowns ivikela iMTN 8.
“Siyazazi ukuthi sifuna ukulihamba lonke ibanga kulo mqhudelwano kodwa futhi siyazi ukuthi sizobhekana namaqembu anzima njengeSundowns. “Okusemqoka ukubanika inhlonipho ebafanele njengeqembu elivikela isicoco kodwa akufanele sikungabaze ukuthi siyela iwini kulo mdlalo ukuze kuzoqhubeka iphupho lethu lokulihamba lonke ibanga kulo mqhudelwano,” kuqhuba uXoki.
Mayelana nabadlali abasayine nePirates, uXoki uthe weneme yize kubekhona ukuphazamiseka eqenjini ngokulima kwabadlali abamqoka.
“Sonke (nabadlali abasha) sesijwayelene futhi sonke sizimisele ukuqinisekisa ukuthi senze okusemandleni ukuthi iPirates iwine imidlalo. “Kuzogcina kuhlangene konke. Yikhona nje ukuthi sibe nebhadi lokulinyalelwa abadlali abamqoka njengoLorch (Thembinkosi) noVincent (Pule) ngesikhathi esibi kodwa konke kuyalunga manje,” kusonga uXoki.