Kuzovuka amagqubu koweChiefs neZamalek kwiCaf

UKUHLANGANA kweKaizer Chiefs neZamalek yase-Egypt emdlalweni weCaf Confederation Cup kule mpelasonto kusho ukuvuka kukapelepele ogqokweni njengoba la maqembu ayegcine ukuhlangana eminyakeni engu-32 edlule. 

IChiefs izotholana neZamalek emdlalweni wesibili wesigaba samaqoqo kwiCaf Confederation Cup ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama, ePeter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane. La maqembu azophinda ekuhambeni e-Egypt ngoFebhuwari 15. 

Amakhosi eza kulo mdlalo esazikhotha amanxeba kulandela ukuguqiswa ngelinye iqembu lase-Egypt, i-Al Masry, ngeSonto eSuez Canal Stadium, e-Egypt. Ukubhekana kwawo neZamalek ngoMgqibelo kuzokwenza abalandeli bakhumbule okwenzeka eminyakeni edlule ngesikhathi la maqembu ebhekene eMzansi okokuqala ngo-1993.

Sekuwumlando ukuthi Amakhosi ayeqala ukudlala emqhudelwaneni weConfederation of African Football (Caf), eqhathwa nalezi zinkunzi zase-Egypt emzuliswaneni wesibili seChampions League.

Anqoba ngo 2-1 kowomlenze wokuqala owawudlalelwa eFNB Stadium, eNasrec, ngamagoli kaLucas Radebe no-Eric September. Nokho kwashabalala konke kowomlenze wesibili eNasser Stadium (esibizwa ngeCairo International Stadium), eCairo, ekhala ngaphansi ngo 1-0 wegoli lika-Ayman Mansour. Lokhu kwakusho ukuthi zibambene ngo 2-2 kodwa iZamalek yadlulela phambili ngomthetho wegoli lasekuhambeni. Leli qembu aligcinanga ngeChiefs kodwa lahamba laze lafinyelela kowamanqamu, lashaya i-Asante Kotoko yaseGhana, lakhala lemuka nesicoco seChampions League.

Ukuhlangana ngoMgqibelo kwaMakhosi neZamalek - eteketiswa ngele-The White Knights - kuzobe kuhlukile uma kuqhathaniswa nesikhathi ahlanganana ngaso okokuqala la maqembu.

Ngaleso sikhathi inkonyane yayisathuka isisinga kwiChiefs ebholeni lase-Afrika kwazise iNingizimu Afrika yayisanda kubuyela emiqhudelwaneni yamazwe. Kulokhu, izinto sezishintshe kakhulu kwazise iChiefs isinomlando ophathekayo emiqhudelwaneni yeCaf futhi isiyahlonishwa e-Afrika.

Ngo-2001 Amakhosi anqoba isicoco se-African Cup Winners’ Cup (esiyiConfederation Cup),  kwathi ngo-2021 afinyelela kowamanqamu weChampions League kodwa aguqiswa yi-Al Ahly.

NgoMgqibelo, iChiefs kufanele ikhombise ukuthi ayisewona amakluma ebholeni lase-Afrika ngokulwa ngakho konke ukuze ithole amaphuzu amathathu kwiZamalek enqobe ngo 1-0 kwiZesco United yaseZambia ngempelasonto edlule.