UMENGAMELI waMaZulu FC, uSandile Zungu, uphumela obala ngothando analo ngoManqoba "TV" Mngqithi okuke kwaba nemibiko ethi akakayivuseleli inkontileka neMamelodi Sundowns.
NgoLwesibili uSuthu lukhiphe isitatimende ebesithi izintambo zokuqeqesha sezibanjiswe u-Ayanda "Cobra" Dlamini kuze kube kuphela isizini. USuthu lusalelwe imidlalo eyisithupha okumele kuyo uDlamini azame ukuthola amaphuzu awu-18.
URomain "Fohloza" Folz, obeyinhloko yabaqeqeshi, unikezwe umsebenzi wokuba usomaqhinga ozoluleka umengameli weqembu ngezinhlelo zabo ngeqembu. UFohloza ushenxiswa kwesokuqeqesha nje ubesanda kwelula inkontileka yakhe ngeminyaka emithathu.
Izinguquko ebhentshini loSuthu zenzeke ngemuva kokwehlulwa imidlalo emibili ilandelana, okukhona nowangempelasonto edlule lapho luguqiswe yiSwallows ngo-1-0 eMoses Mabhida Stadium.
Kwenzeka lezi zinguquko, Isolezwe lihoshe ukuthi uSuthu lusezithendeni zikaMngqithi. Ngokomthombo, lo mqeqeshi osehlale iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye kumaBrazilians, kuhlelwa ukuthi kuMaZulu athathe izintambo ngokuphelele ekuqaleni kwesizini ka-2023/24.
Kuvela ukuthi njengoba uFolz engakhonjwanga indlela, nguyena ozoba ngelinye lamaphini kaMngqithi.
Inkontileka yalo mqeqeshi neSundowns iphela ekusongweni kwesizini. Umphathi wezindaba zakhe, uMike Makaab, uke wacashunwa kwabezindaba ekuveza ukuthi kusathule, ayikavuselelwa.
Mayelana nodaba lukaMngqithi, oke wawacija AmaZulu phakathi kuka-2010 kuya ku-2011, uZungu, uthe: "UMngqithi wumqeqeshi esingathanda ukusebenza naye. Siyazi nokuthi naye uSuthu uyaluthanda. Ukube kuya ngathi, singamqasha noma yinini. Kodwa okumele sikuqonde ukuthi uwumsebenzi weSundowns. Beyingakaze isho ukuthi izoyivuselela noma cha inkontileka yakhe.“
Kulokhu kuvela kancane ukuthi bukhona ubudlelwano phakathi kukaZungu noMngqithi.
UMngqithi eminyakeni embalwa edlule wakusho phambi kwaleli phephandaba ukuthi nguye oweluleka uZungu ukuthi aqashe uBenni McCarthy.
Ngempela ngaphansi kwalo mqeqeshi osesebenza kwiManchaster United, kwisizini ka-2020/21 uSuthu lwaqeda endaweni yesibili. Lwaqopha umlando ngokuya okokuqala kwiCaf Champions League. Lwaze lwafinyelela esigabeni samaqoqo.
Maphakathi nesizini uMngqithi ususiwe ekubeni yinhloko yabaqeqeshi kwiSundowns, osekuyisikhundla esinikwe uRhulani Mokwena. Kungenzeka lesi kube yisizathu abe manqika ngokuvuselela inkontileka kumaBrazilians.
AmaZulu asendaweni ka-12 kwi-log njengamanje ngamaphuzu awu-28 emidlalweni ewu-24. NgeSonto azovakashela iCape Town City eCape Town Stadium ngo-5.30 ntambama. UMakaab entintwa ngezindaba zokuthi uMngqithi angase ajoyine uSuthu nokuthola ngesimo senkontileka yalo mqeqeshi neSundowns, ushaye ngamafuphi, wathi: "Indaba yoSuthu ayilona iqiniso. Sesiziqalile izingxoxo neSundowns.“