ZAKHELE XABA
Orlando Pirates (0) 0 Al Ahly (0) 0
I HLULEKILE ukugwema izinkunzi ezisatshwayo i-Orlando Pirates esondeze iphupho likaSihlalo wayo, u-Irvin Khoza, lokwengeza inkanyezi yesibili ejezini ngokunqoba indebe yeCaf Champions League.
IPirates idlale ngokulingana ngo 0-0 ne-Al Ahly yase-Egypt emdlalweni wokugcina wamaqoqo e-Orlando Stadium izolo ntambama.
Ngalo mphumela iPirates, eyanqoba umqhudelwano ngo-1995, iziqhathe ne-Esperance yaseTunisia eyesatshwayo e-Afrika ngenxa yamagalelo ayo.
I-Esperance, esinqobe iChampions League kabili futhi engakaze ishayelwe ekhaya emqhudelwaneni walo nyaka, iqede ihlezi phezulu kuGroup B.
I-Al Ahly, eqede eqhulwini kuGroup A, izobhekana neCoton Sport yaseCameroon eqede endaweni yesibili kuGroup B. Komunye umdlalo kaGroup A iZamalek igcine inqobe i-AC Leopards ngo 4-1.
Ukunqoba kwePirates, okujabulise iNingizimu Afrika yonke, kusho ukuqhubeka nephupho likaKhoza owakubeka kwacaca ukuthi ufuna babuye nesicoco sesibili.
IPirates eqophe umlando ngokuba yiqembu lokuqala eNingizimu ne-Afrika ukufinyelela kuma-semi final eChampions League amahlandla amathathu, yagcina ukuhamba ibanga elide ngo-2006 iphuma kuma-semi final.
Emdlalweni wayizolo iPirates iqale ngomkhulu umfutho, iqhinqa emhlabeni we-Al Ahly ebizihlalele emuva kwazise iye kulo mdlalo isivele idlulele kuma-semi final ngamaphuzu angu-10.
Ukuzinikela kwePirates kucishe kwathela izithelo ngesikhathi ibhola likaLennox Bacela lichilizelwa ngaphandle ngunozinti we-Al Ahly kuba yikhona ngomzuzu wesikhombisa.
Emuva komzuzu uphinde wathola elinye ibhola lo mgadli oyithenba leZimnyama kodwa waxhamazela washumpuza ephakathi ebhokisini.
I-Ahly ithole ithuba elilodwa kodwa yahluleka ukulisebenzisa. Ukukhuphuka okungenamkhawulo kwabadlali basemuva bePirates kucishe kwayihlomulisa ngesikhathi uPatrick Phungwayo egamanxa nebhola eligcine liwele kuSifiso Myeni kodwa washaya eceleni kwepali. Sekuzoyiwa ekhefini uDaine Klate uhlulwe yibhola elihle ebeligotshwe nguTlou Segolela ngakwesokudla.
Ngesiwombe sesibili i-Al Ahly izamile ukukhuphula izinga kodwa iPirates yaqhubeka nokucindezela. Ngomzuzu ka-69 uThulasizwe Mbuyane, obesanda kungena endaweni kaMyeni olimalile, udlale ngomsebenzi ehluleka wukuqedela ibhola abegingqelwe lona ebhokisini. Nakuba kuzwakala izindaba zokuthi iLeopards isishaywa ngembudlu ka-4-1 yiZamalek nobekusho ukudlula kwePirates kodwa ayikhombisanga ukuzithela ngabandayo.
Lokhu kubonakale ngezingqwembe ebezibhalwe ukuthi “Thank you Zama-Lekker” nobekukhomba ukuthi ezinye izindlebe zilalele obekwenzeka e-Egypt. Kucishe kwanyuka amaphaphu kubalandeli bePirates ngesikhathi u-Ahmed Saidi ethola ibhola esebhekene nonozinti uSenzo Meyiwa kodwa walishaya laphuma eceleni. IPirates iqhubekile nokwakha amathuba kodwa yahluleka ukuwasebenzisa.
KuGroup B i-Esperance iqede inamaphuzu angu-16 emidlalweni eyisithupha. Yize leli qembu laba nesiqiniseko sokudlulela kowandulela owamanqamu lisasalelwe yimidlalo emibili kodwa liqoqe amaphuzu aphelele emdlalweni wokugcina ngoMgqibelo. I-Esperance yehlule iCoton Sport yaseCameroon ngo 2-1 wamagoli kaKhaled Gharsellanui no-Ahmed Akaichi. EleCoton Sport libekwe enethini mguDouda Kamili ngoMgqibelo.