MINENHLE MKHIZE
U MGADLI weMamelodi Sundowns uKatlego “Mahoota” Mashego ugaqele isicoco sakhe sesithathu seMTN 8 naBafana Ba-Style abazovula umkhankaso wabo wokubutha izicoco nePlatinum Stars ku-quarterfinal yalo mqhudelwano ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama eLoftus Stadium, ePitoli.
UMahoota (32), okhale wemuka nomklomelo womshayimagoli ohamba phambili ku-Absa Premiership ngo-2012/2013, usehlabane ngesicoco seMTN 8 kabili empilweni yakhe yebhola.
Usiwine okokuqala lesi sicoco ngo-2010 ngesikhathi esagijima ku-Orlando Pirates. EZimnyama zashaya iSwallows kumaphenathi emdlalweni wamanqamu owawuseMoses Mabhida Stadium.
Ngo-2012 uMashego uphinde wahlomula ngesinye isicoco sakhe sesibili seMTN 8, esedlala kuSwallows ethele othulini iSuperSport United ngo 2-1 e-Orlando Stadium. Exoxa ne Solezwe, uthe angakuthokozela ukuphinde athole indondo yalo mqhudelwano.
“Sifuna ukuyinqoba (MTN 8) ngoba iwuhlobo lomqhudelwano othi uma uwuwinile ukunikeze ukuzethemba. KuPirates sawina yona kuqala kodwa kwathi kuphela isizini savala nezicoco ezintathu (eseligi neNedbank Cup). NePlatinum Stars ngesizini edlule iqale ngayo i-MTN 8 yasonga isizini nezicoco ezimbili (neseTelkom). Indlela amalungiselelo ethu okuqala kwesizini ahambe ngayo kunginika ithemba lokuthi sizokwenza kahle kulo mqhudelwano,” kusho uMashego.
Ngesizini edlule iSundowns ayizange idlale kulo mqhudelwano ngenxa yokuthi ayiqedanga kuTop 8. Leli qembu eliqede ishobolo leminyaka eyisikhombisa lihlulwa wukuwina isicoco seligi kanti sekuphele eyisithupha lagcina ukuphakamisa isicoco somkhumulajezi. ISundowns yagcina ngo-2008 inqoba iNedbank Cup ukudla isicoco somkhumulajezi.
“Ngesikhathi kuqala isizini edlule iSundowns bese kuphele isikhathi eside yagcina ukuwina isicoco seligi kodwa sakwazi ukuqeda lolu khondolo olubi. Into esisizile wukukholwa wukuthi singawenza umsebenzi nokusayinisa abadlali abaseqophelweni eliphezulu. Nakulokhu iqembu lisayinisile futhi singasiwina lesi sicoco,” kusho uMashego.
Ngesizini yakhe yokuqala kuSundowns uMahoota uhlabane ngesicoco sakhe sesithathu se-Absa Premiership. Unqobe iligi okokuqala neSuperSport ngo-2007/2008 kwathi ngo-2010/2011 wahlomula ngesinye esekuPirates. Kule sizini iSundowns izobe ilwela izicoco ezinhlanu. EseMTN 8, Telkom Knockout, Nedbank Cup, Absa Premiership neCaf Champions League. Phezu kwalokhu leli qembu lingase libe nabadlali abazoyibamba ku-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ngoJanuwari uma iBafana Bafana igcina izibekiselile indawo kulo mqhudelwano.
“Ngeke kube lula kodwa iPirates isikhombisile ukuthi akuyona into engenzeki ukulwela zonke lezi zicoco. Kuzomele sisebenze ngokuphindiwe kwazise iqembu neqembu esidlala nalo lifuna ukusihlula njengompetha beligi. IStars ngeke siyithathe kancane yize ilahlekelwe ngabadlali abamqoka. Umqeqeshi wayo (Allan Freese) usekhona, into eshintshile abadlali kuphela okusho ukuthi bazodlala ngendlela efanayo kodwa ngabadlali abahlukile,” kusho uMashego.