UMQEQESHI weMamelodi Sundowns, uRulani Mokwena, uthi yize besayiqale kahle imidlalo yeCaf Champions League kodwa alikho nelilodwa iqembu abalithatha kancane kulawa abaqhathwe nawo eqoqweni labo futhi basalindele imidlalo enzima.
UMokwena ukusho lokhu emuva kokuba ezakhe zibhaxabulele ekhaya iCoton Sport yaseCameroon ngo 3-1, kowomlenze wokuqala wesigaba sokugcina samaqoqo kwiCaf Champions League, eRoumde Adjia Stadium, eGaroua, eCameroon, ngoLwesihlanu.
Amagoli iSundowns enqobe ngawo kulo mdlalo avalelwe phakathi wuCassius Mailula osefomini eyisimanga, oshaye amabili, kwathi elinye lashaywa wuThapelo Morena.
Amaqembu iSundowns eqhathwe nawo kwiGroup B, yi-Al Hilal yaseSudan, yiCoton Sport ne-Al Ahly yase-Egypt.
Isivele iqoqe amaphuzu ayisithupha emidlalweni emibili ngokunqoba i-Al Hilal ngo 1-0, njengoba ilandele ngeCoton Sport, kanti izobhekana ne-Al Ahly ngoMgqibelo ozayo, eCairo, e-Egypt.
Amaqembu amabili azoqeda ephezulu kuGroup B azodlulela kuma-quarterfinal alo mqhudelwano.
“Ngiziqhenya kakhulu ngendlela abadlali bami abakhombise ngayo ukuzinikela kulo mdlalo. Kuyajabulisa ukubona abadlali abaqalayo ukudlala kwiChampions League bekhombisa ukuzinikela ngale ndela, abadlali abanjengoCassius (Mailula), uTeboho (Mokoena), uMvala (Mothobi), uKekana (Grant), u-Allende (Marcelo).
“Besibhekene neqembu elingelula neze elidlala kahle, futhi elinabadlali abondlekile, kodwa sakwazi ukunqoba, yize ngesiwombe sesibili singadlalanga kahle njengasesiwombeni sokuqala,” kusho uMokwena.
“Sisazobhekana nemidlalo enzima kuleli qoqo lethu, amaqembu esiqhathwe nawo ngamaqembu aqinile. Ngakho alikho nelilodwa iqembu esilithatha kancane.
“Sisazodlala neCoton Sport ePitoli emlenzeni wesibili, sisazodlala ne-Al Hilal, sisazodlala nane-Al Ahly futhi. Ngakho imidlalo esisazoyidlala ibalulekile futhi inzima.
“Kodwa sisazoqhubeka nokusebenza ngokuzikhandla, silwe kuze kube sekugcineni ngoba sizimisele kakhulu ngokuhamba ibanga emqhudelwaneni wakulo nyaka,” kusonga uMokwena.
Empeleni amaSandawana abukeka esethubeni lokwedlulela kuma-quarterfinal ngendlela asaqale ngayo eqoqweni lawo, futhi kubukeka i-Al Ahly kuyilona qembu elingayinika inselelo edle ngokuqina uma kuqhathaniswa ne-Al Hilal neCoton Sport okungamaqembu angenasimanga.