ZAKHELE XABA
I-ORLANDO Pirates izolibangisa eNigeria engeme umqeqeshi wayo, uJosef Zinnbauer, ngemuva kokwehluleka kwayo ukuthola amaphuzu amathathu kwiSwallows FC, emdlalweni weDStv Premiership obungempelasonto.
EZimnyama zibanjwe yiSwallows ngo 1-1 eDobsonville Stadium. ngoMgqibelo. Igoli leSwallows lishaywe ukaputeni weBucs, uThulani Hlatshwayo kwathi uTshegofatso Mabasa wayishayela elokulinganisa. Baye kulo mdlalo uZinnbauer efunga egomela, ukuthi bazobuya nawo egcwele amaphuzu kwiDube Birds. Ubethi ukunqoba kwiSwallows kuzobenza babhekane ne-Enyimba, eNigeria, koweCaf Confederation Cup, ukuzethemba kuphezulu.
Umdlalo ne-Enyimba ungoLwesithathu ngo-11 ebusuku, e-Enyimba Stadium. EZimnyama zidinga amaphuzu amathathu kwi-Enyimba, ukuze ziqinisekise indawo kuma-quarterfinal nokuqeda phezulu kuGroup A. Uma iPirates iqeda eqhulwini izogwema ezinye izinkunzi ezizokwenza okufanayo kwamanye amaqoqo.
Amaqembu amane azoqeda ehlezi eqhulwini, azoqhathwa nazoqeda endaweni yesibili kuma-quarterfinal. Nokho ukubanjwa kwePirates yiSwallows koweDStv Premiership ngempelasonto edlule, kuyiphazamisile injabulo kaZinnbauer.
"Okuhle ngomdlalo wukuthi sidlale kahle. Kodwa bengingajabula kakhulu ukuba siwinile, sathola amaphuzu amathathu. Besizodlala umdlalo olandelayo sigcwele ukuzethemba. Kodwa indlela esidlale ngayo isibeka ethubeni elihle. Singadlala kanjena ngoLwesithathu. Angiyesabi i-Enyimba," kusho uZinnbauer.
KuGroup A yi-ES Setif yase-Algeria kuphela, esemsileni we-log edlalela ukuqedela imidlalo kwazise ngeke isakwazi ukuqoqa amaphuzu, angayenza idlulele kuma-quarterfinal. Umbango usuphakathi kwePirates, Enyimba ne-Al Ahly Benghazi yaseLibya. Mabili amaqembu azodlulela kuma-quarterfinal.
Ngaphandle kwengcindezi yokujoyina iMamelodi Sundowns, neKaizer Chiefs ngokuphakamisa igama leNingizimu Afrika kwiCAF, iPirates kufanele ilwele ukuthola isikhala emqhudelwaneni wangesizini ezayo ngokuqeda okungenani endaweni yesithathu kwiPremiership. EZimnyama zisendaweni yesine kwi-log. Zisele ngamaphuzu ayisishiyagalombili kwiSundowns esesicongweni.
UZinnbauer uphinde wayichitha eyesicoco seligi. "Sibheka umdlalo ngamunye. Sidlale kahle futhi bekusifanele ukuwina. Kodwa sikude kakhulu. Sidinga inqwaba yamaphuzu ukuze sikhulume indaba yeligi. Uma kwenzeka, sizokwamukela. Sizoyilwela iligi. Kodwa sithatha umdlalo ngamunye. Umdlalo olandelayo ubalulekile kithina," kusho uZinnbauer.