UKUKHOMBISA kwabadlali beMamelodi Sundowns izimpawu zokuwabamba ngokushesha amaqhinga kaMiguel Cardoso, kwenza lo mqeqeshi angabe esakwazi ukulinda umdlalo wabo olandelayo weBetway Premiership naMaZulu FC ngoLwesibili ngo-3 ntambama eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
UCardoso wasePortugal ongene esikhundleni sikaManqoba Mngqithi, ukusho lokhu ngoLwesithathu eqeda ukunqoba ngo 1-0 kwiStellenbosch FC obekungowakhe wokuqala weligi obuse-DHL Stadium, eKapa.
ISundowns ebidlala ngaphandle kukakaputeni wayo, uRonwen Williams, nephini lakhe, uTebogo Mokoena, ngenxa yezizathu ezahlukene inqobe ngegoli lika-Iqraam Rayners alishaye esiwombeni sokuqala.
Ngemuva komdlalo, uCardoso uzwakalise injabulo ngokushesha kokuhlangana kwezinto yize kunabadlali abebengekho.
“Ngineme ngomphumela esiwutholile uma uzokhumbula ukuthi siphuma emdlalweni onjani (neRaja Casablanca kwiCaf Champions League), kanti kunabadlali abamqoka ebesingeke sikwazi ukubasebenzisa,” kusho uCardoso kwabezindaba.
“Okusobala nokusijabulisa kakhulu wukuthi abadlali beSundowns bayashesha ukubamba lokho esibatshela khona. Lokhu kufakazelwa wukuthi iningi labadlali esikimini esiqale umdlalo alijwayelene kodwa lokhu ebesikufuna kwenzeke ngendlela esishiye sigculisekile.
“Usemkhulu umsebenzi kodwa sihlale sikuhalela ukuba semidlalweni ukushesha ukubamba isitayela sethu kwabadlali esibafice kwiSundowns.
“Ububalulekile lo mphumela weStellenbosch kodwa owomdlalo olandelayo naMaZulu nowokuvala unyaka ngoDisemba 29 (neRichards Bay FC, eKing Zwelithini Stadium), iyona ebaluleke kakhulu,” kuqhuba yena.
Uvumile uCardoso ukuthi iStellenbosch icishe yabaphoxa ikakhulukazi esiwombeni sesibili.
“Besibhekene neqembu elinzima nelinamaqhinga amaningi okudlala abesiphazamisa kulokhu ebesizama ukukwenza. Bekumele siwuqede esiwombeni sokuqala umdlalo yingakho ngingazange ngithuke uma isitha sesikhuphula umdlalo kwesesibili.
“Kukona konke lokhu ngisale ngihlabeke umxhwele ngendlela abadlali bami abayiphendule ngayo imibuzo abebeyibuzwa iStellenbosh ngejubane nangamabhola amade.
“Ayikho into emnandi kumqeqeshi njengokubona abadlali bakhe bezinikele ngokugcwele ukuzama ukwenza lokhu asuke ebatshela khona.
“Kuyibhonasi uma lokhu kwenziwa ngisho nayilaba abangalijwayele ijezi. Akukho osekubusa umqondo ngaphandle komdlalo olandelayo naMaZulu,” kusho uCardoso.