UKHOLWA wukuthi ukubalwa namaqembu abanga izicoco kuchaza ukuthi sekuseduze ukuthi baphakamise indebe okokuqala esigabeni esiphezulu ebholeni laseNingizimu Afrika, umqeqeshi weStellenbosch FC, uSteve Barker.
IStellies iguqise iSuperSport United ngo 1-0 kwi-quarter-final yeMTN8 ngeSonto ebusuku, ePeter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane. Ukunqoba kwayo kuyibekisele indawo kowandulela owamanqamu. Igoli lokubika kulo mdlalo lishaywe ngu-Andre de Jong, esikhathini esengeziwe.
Ngesizini edlule iqembu likaBarker, lingenile kowandulela owamanqamu eNedbank Cup, lashaywa yiSekhukhune United sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi.
“Lo mphumela wenze ukuthi isonto esilichithe ePolokwane, libe ngcono kakhulu. Bekuzoba nzima ukube asinqobanga. Ngicabanga ukuthi udumo kumele luye kubadlali ngendlela abazikhandle ngayo, bagxila ezinhlelweni zethu. Akulula ukudlala neSuperSport kodwa bebezimisele kakhulu,” kuchaza uBarker, kwabezindaba.
“Isifiso sethu njengeqembu wukulwela izicoco. Ngonyaka odlule saba neshwa, sahlulwa kumaphenathi kuma-quarter-final eMTN8, nakowandulela owamanqamu eNedbank Cup. Ngakho siye sasondela futhi sathola ukuzwa ukuthi kunjani ukuba sembangweni wesicoco. Nakulokhu sizithola sesingelinye lamaqembu amane azobanga le ndebe yeMTN8.
“KuseneCarling Cup, iNedbank Cup nesicoco seligi futhi sizimisele ukuzilwela zonke izindebe. Sesineminyaka emihlanu sikulesi sigaba esiphezulu futhi sesakhe isisekelo esihle. Sikholwa wukuthi sesikulungele ukulwela izicoco futhi asikho isikhathi esingcono sokwenza lokho kunasekuqaleni kwesizini.”
IStellenbosch izobhekana ne-Orlando Pirates kowandulela owamanqamu weMTN8, oyimilenze emibili.
Iqembu likaBarker selizwene amandla namaBhakabhaka emdlalweni wokuvula kwiDStv Premiershipi, lanqoba ngo 1-0 eDanie Craven Stadium. Nokho lo mqeqeshi uyazi ukuthi imilenze emibili abazoyidlala nezikaJose Riveiro, kwiMTN8 izobe ihluke kakhulu.
“Uma sekusele iChiefs, Sundowns nePirates emqhudelwaneni kusho ukuthi awukho umdlalo obuzoba lula. Sithole iPirates futhi sesidlalile nayo kule sizini. Senze kahle kulowo mdlalo kodwa siyazi ukuthi bayiqembu elisezingeni eliphezulu. Ngemuva kokuthi sibashayile badlale kahle bahlohla nenqwaba yamagoli bebhekene neRoyal AM, neSekhukhune United,” kulandisa uBarker.
“Kuzoba wumdlalo onzima kodwa uma ufuna ukunqoba izindebe kufanele ushaye amaqembu ayingozi. Kuzoba yinselelo kodwa siyibheke ngabomvu. Bazobe bethwelwe ngeqoma njengoba kuyibona abavikela lesi sicoco, kodwa sizokwenza konke okusemandleni ethu. Ngicabanga ukuthi wonke umuntu ubefisa ukuqhathwa neStellenbosch kodwa kwesinye isikhathi kufanele uqaphele ukuthi yini oyifisayo.”
IStellenbosch izogxila emdlalweni weligi olandelayo ngoLwesihlanu ngo-7.30 ebusuku, lapho izobhekana neRoyal AM, eHarry Gwala Stadium, eMgungundlovu.
Njengoba iqale iligi ngokunqoba iPirates, ibuyiselwe kwamhlaba ishaywa yiPolokwane City ngo 1-0 emdlalweni wesibili.