UKAPUTENI we-Orlando Pirates, owahluleka kowamanqamu ukwengeza ngenkanyezi yesibili ejezini layo, uLucky Lekgwathi, uqwashise abadlali beBucs bamanje ngethuba lokuzifaka emlandweni okuyokhulunywa ngawo iminyaka njengoba kwenzeka ngegoli likaJerry Sikhosana alishaya eminyakeni engu-35 edlule.
IPirates inethuba lokusondela ekuphindeni umlando wayo weChampions League wango-1995 ngomdlalo womlenze wesibili we-quarterfinal neMC Alger yase-Algeria kusasa ngo-6 kusihlwa, e-Orlando Stadium, eSoweto.
ULekgwathi uwazi kahle ucishe njengoba ezakhe zehlulwa yi-Al Ahly yase-Egypt kowamanqamu weChampions League ngo-2013. Nokho ukholelwa ekutheni eZimnyama ngeke ziphinde zilithole ithuba elingcono kunaleli lokufaka inkanyezi yesibili ejezini, nenhlonipho okuhambisana nakho.
Lokhu uLekgwathi ukutshele Isolezwe kulandela ukunqoba kwePirates ngo 1-0 kwiMC Alger kowomlenze wokuqala e-Algiers ngeviki eledlule.
“Igoli likaJerry (Sikhosana) sesikhulume ngalo iminyaka engaphezulu kwengu-30, ngakho-ke sekuyisikhathi sokwakha izinkakha ezintsha,” kusho uLekgwathi.
“Siyohlala sizishaya isifuba ngesakwenzelwa uSikhosana neqembu lonke lango-1995 kodwa sekuyisikhathi sokwakha amaqhawe amasha okuzokhulunywa ngawo eminye iminyaka engaphezulu kwengu-30 ezayo.
“Ngibona ingqayizivele yethuba lokuzifaka emlandweni wePirates ngokufaka inkanyezi yesibili ejezini leBucs koRelebohile (Mofokeng), Patrick (Maswanganyi) noDeon (Hotto) ukubala abambalwa.
“Okunye engikubonayo yithuba labadlali lokubonga uSihlalo u-Irvin (Khoza) ngokuqinisekisa minyaka yonke ukuthi bathola konke abakudingayo uma belungiselela ukuqala kwesizini.
“Ubufakazi balokhu uhambo lwaseSpain engicabanga ukuthi kulisize kakhulu iqembu kumasizini amabili adlule,” kusho uLekgwathi owale waphetha ukuphawula ngokushiya kukaJose Riveiro ekupheleni kwesizini.
“Kunjengoba iqembu lishilo ukuthi yilona kuphela elizokhuluma ngalolu daba, ngakho-ke kumqoka ukuthi sizihloniphe izimfuno zalo,” kugcizelela uLekgwathi.
IPirates iya kulo mdlalo seyazi ukuthi le isizini yokugcina kaRiveiro, ngakho-ke ngeke kwathusa uma kuwukuthi nabadlali bazimisele ukumdlalela okokugcina njengoba engeke ayivuselele inkontileka ephela ngoJuni 30.
Ngaphandle kweChampions League, iPirates isazibhekile kwiBetway Premiership esele kuyona ngamaphuzu angu-12 kwilog kwiMamelodi Sundowns yize ilandela ngemidlalo emithathu.
NakwiNedbank Cup leli qembu elivikela isicoco lisekhona njengoba lizokwamukela iMarumo Gallants eSoweto kowandulela owamanqamu ngeSonto ngo-3 ntambama, e-Orlando Stadium.