ISITHANDWA sakudala sabalandeli be-Orlando Pirates, uSteve “Chippa” Lekoelea, situse umqeqeshi weBucs, uJose Riveiro, ngokungabasonti abadlali abadaliwe ukuthi bayalihlikihla, njengoRelebogile Mofokeng noPatrick Maswanganyi.
ULekoelea owabonakala esigabeni esikhulu okokuqala eneminyaka engu-15, esadlalela iMoroka Swallows ngo-1995, ukholwa ukuthi iPirates isezandleni ezifanele kuRiveiro odabuka eSpain.
Le nsephe eyayisemabhukwini ePirates iminyaka engu-10, ikhulume neSolezwe ngempelasonto edlule njengoba ibiyingxenye yezimenywa eziqavile kwiKhabba Cup eMlaza.
Nakuba iPirates isale ngesibalo esikhulu samaphuzu (23) emhlane weMamelodi Sundowns embangweni wesicoco seDStv Premiership kodwa uLekoelea ukholelwa ekutheni leli gebe lingavaleka uma iqembu lakhe lakudala lingahlela kahle.
Phakathi kwezinto abona zingasiza iPirates ekuvaleni leli gebe eqhulwini kuhleli indlela uRiveiro asebenzisa ngayo abadlali abathathwa njengabanomjiko.
“Ayikho into ebuhlungu njengokushintshwa endleleni odalelwe ukudlala ngayo ngakho-ke ngiyambonga uRiveiro ngakwenzela abadlali abafana noMofokeng noMaswanganyi,” kusho uLekoelea.
“Okungichaza ngalo mqeqeshi ukuthi esikhundleni sokuchizela abadlali balolu hlobo uyabasondeza abasebenzise ngendlela exhumene nale afuna idlalwe iqembu lakhe,” kulandisa uLekoelea.
Lesi sithandwa sabalandeli esashayela iPirates amagoli angaphezulu kwangu-50 siqhamuka ezimpondweni, sisebenzise ithuba seluleka uRiveiro ngokufanele akwenze ngesizini ezayo.
“Ngiyakholelwa ekutheni iPirates inawo amava okuvala igebe leSundowns kodwa ukhiye usekutheni izomisa kanjani uma kuvuleka ithuba lokungena emakhethe.
“Ngokwabadlali beqophelo, iPirates ayishodi ngalutho ngakho-ke uRiveiro sekufanele athenge abadlali abangahlukile kangako kulaba abakhona vele.
“Enye indlela yeSundowns yokukhonya ukuba nabadlali abawuhlobo oluthi alufane okwenza lo osuke esibambile isikimu angabe esasidedela ngenxa yovalo lokwazi ukuthi uma sike saphephuka, kuba umzukuzuku ukusithola futhi.
“Njengoba kuzovuleka iwindi lokushintshana ngabadlali kufanele iPirates ithenge abadlali abazohlalisa lubhojozi laba abakhona abazi ukuthi isikimu esabo,” kuphetha uLekoelea.
IPirates edle izicoco ezimbili (MTN 8 neNedbank Cup), ngesizini edlule ivale ngokuqinisekisa igunya layo lokumela iPremier Soccer League (PSL) kwiCaf Champions League ngesizini ezayo.
Isidedele uKermit Erasmus, Richard Ofori, Siyabonga Mpontshane, Thabang Monare, Fortune Makaringe, noSouaibou Marou.