I-ORLANDO Pirates ikweleta uSihlalo wayo u-Irvin Khoza, inkanyezi yesibili yomkhokhela ngokuyihlelela kwakhe ubukhazikhazi bohambo olumqoka lwase-Europe, amasizini elandelana.
Lokhu kuphume emlonyeni kakaputeni wayo weminyaka edlule, uLucky Lekgwathi, ngenkathi edlana indlebe neSolezwe ngomona anawo ngenhlanhla ewele abadlali bamanje bePirates.
Ikhempu yePirates esivuthiwe eSpain, ibihlanganisa imidlalo namaqembu ahlonishwayo e-Europe, okubalwa iPlymouth Argayle yase-England, nompetha beminyaka edlule be-Uefa Europa League, iSevilla, yaseSpain.
Abafana bakaJose Riveiro, ngeledlule emdlalweni wokuqala babambane ngo 2-2 ne-Argyle eqeqeshwa, nguWayne Rooney, owaduma kwiManchester United.
Kowesibili babhekane neSevilla bayinqoba ngo 2-0 wamagoli, kaMiguel Timm noKabelo Dlamini, enkundleni yezinkunzi zaseSpain.
NgoLwesithathu ntambama iPirates ibambane ngo 1-1 neFC Granada ngaphambi kokusonga uhambo ngowezinkunzi zaseQatar, i-Al Saad, namuhla ntambama.
Okusobala ukuthi uLekgwathi ubheke lukhulu emiqhudelwaneni emihlanu ezodlalwa yiPirates ngesizini ezayo ngoba ngokubona kwakhe uKhoza uyinike zonke izikhali ezidingayo.
“Banenhlanhla laba bafana ngoba bathola amathuba angabavulela iminyango thina esingakaze siphuphe nokuthi siyoke sisondele kuwona,” kusho uLekgwathi.
“Ngezikhathi zethu asiwatholanga amathuba afana nalawa kodwa sikwazile ukufaka iqembu kowamanqamu weCaf Champions League safaka nenqwaba yezinkomishi ekhabetheni.
“Njengoba beseSpain, bangabonwa yinoma iyiphi inhloli osekungenye yezindlela ezilula zokuzitholela amadlelo aluhlaza amaqenjini aphesheya kwezilwandle. Basemafutheni abadlali bePirates bamanje yingakho bengeke babe nalo ithuba lokucasha ngesithupha ukuthi kungani bengabuyanga nenkanyezi yesibili ngesizini ezayo.
“Ngesizini edlule bahambele eSpain babuya badla izicoco ezimbili kodwa kulokhu kuyacaca bathe ukulikhuphula ngisho izinga lamaqembu abazobhekana nawo.
“Nakanjani lokhu kuzosiza ukuthi bayiqale kangcono iChampions League kunangesizini edlule kodwa okungafihleki ukuthi laba bafana bamkweleta inkanyezi yesibili ejezini usihlalo,” kusho uLekgwathi.
Lo mdlali oqoqe izicoco eziningi njengokaputeni wePirates uzwakalise ukwaneliseka ngomsebenzi webhentshi kuze kube yimanje.
“Osacabanga ngendlela ehlukile ngomqeqeshi wethu nethimba lakhe okwakhe lokho. Sibheke lukhulu kuleli bhentshi nakule sizini ezoqala,” kuphetha uLekgwathi.