SIBUSISO MDLALOSE noMIHLALI BALEKA
UMQEQESHI weKaizer Chiefs, u-Arthur Zwane, uthi ufuna leli qembu liyinqobe yonke imidlalo yalo yeDStv Premiershipi esele ukuze likwazi ukuzibekisela indawo kwiCaf Champions League ngokuphela kwale sizini esezihubela sakusha kuyona.
IChiefs ebuya ekuguqiseni i-Orlando Pirates ngo 1-0 kowomkhaya baseSoweto ngeledlule, ibuyela ensimini ngomunye umdlalo omqoka weDStv Premiership ngokutholana phezulu neRichards Bay FC, eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza namuhla ngo-3.30 ntambama.
Njengamanje iChiefs esendaweni yesihlanu kwi-log nesalelwe yimidlalo eyisishiyagalolunye yePremiership, ukuphumelela kwayo ukuzibekisela indawo kwiChampions League, kungasho ukuvaleka kwehlazo kuleli qembu elihlulekile ukunqoba isicoco seMTN 8 neselihluleke lancama ukugudluza iMamelodi Sundowns esicongweni se-log yePremiership.
Amakhosi asalokhu ebhala ecima emidlalweni yeligi, ayobhekana neNatal Rich Boys nayo ebhinjelwa yizinto muva nje, njengoba isihlulwe emidlalweni emithathu yeligi kulandelana nokwenza kulindeleke lukhulu kulo mdlalo wanamuhla phakathi kwala maqembu.
“Sifuna ukuyinqoba yonke imidlalo esisalele, yize kungeke kube yinto elula leyo. Siyathanda ukuyodlala kwiChampions League ngoba sengike ngabuzwa ubumnandi bokudlala kulo mqhudelwano. Ukudlala kwethu kulo mqhudelwano yikho okungakhulisa iqembu nabadlali bethu, futhi kungaba yinto enhle nakubalandeli bethu,” kusho uZwane.
UZwane wayesethimbeni labaqeqeshi ngo-2021 ngenkathi leli qembu lifinyelela okokuqala kowamanqamu eChampions League lapho laguqiswa khona yi-Al Ahly.
Ukubhala nokucisha kweChiefs emidlalweni yakamuva, ikakhulukazi emuva kokushaywa yiGolden Arrows ngo 3-2. Kuze kwaholela ekutheni abanye abalandeli baleli qembu bazwakalise ilaka labo ngokungenami ngomsebenzi kaZwane bethi akaxoshwe.
Nakuba kuyakhulunywa ukuthi lo mqeqeshi usayibambile kulesi sihlalo esishisayo, yingenxa yabaphathi baleli qembu abamesekayo nabasakholelwa kakhulu kuyena ekutheni usengaguqula izinto.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iRich Boys esendaweni yesine kwi-log yePremiership, ibhinjelwa yikhwaya nje, ibisayibambe ngohlelo kule sizini yayo yokuqala esigabeni sePremiership nokufakazelwa wukuhlala kwayo endaweni yesine kwi-log ngalesi sikhathi sesizini, okuyinto ebingalindelwe muntu.