IMAMELODI Sundowns ithi amaphaphu phansi kubalandeli bayo, isibabuli saleli qembu u-Anthony Laffor asizolishiya iqembu.
Lokhu kulandela imibiko yokuthi uLaffor ubengasalubhadi ejimini emasontweni edlule, nokusolakala ukuthi ubeshelwa yiKaizer Chiefs osekunesikhathi kubikwa ukuthi iyamfuna.
Kuvela nokuthi lo mdlali waseLiberia, akahoshelani kahle nomqeqeshi weqembu uPitso “Jingles” Mosimane njengoba enokumkhuhlisa ibhentshi.
NgoLwesibili amaBrazilians ameme izintatheli ezochaza ngamalungiselelo omdlalo awo ne-AS Togo-Port weCAF Champions League ozoba namuhla ngo-9 ebusuku, eLoftus Stadium, ePitoli.
Ngokusho kukaThulani Thuswa okhulumela iSundowns, uLaffor utshele izintatheli ukuthi usajabule kuBafana Ba Style akayi ndawo.
“Uveze ukuthi usajabule kakhulu futhi ngeke alishiye iqembu. Uvumile ukuthi akhona amahlebezi akhulunywayo ngaye kodwa wathi usenenkontileka neSundowns yeminyaka emibili ngakho akazimisele ngokushiya. Uyichithile nemibiko emuyamanisa namanye amaqembu,” kusho uThuswa.
Leli phephandaba libuze uThuswa mayelana nemibiko ethi uLaffor ubengasaziqeqeshi neSundowns amasontweni edlule.
“Empeleni nakhona ngoLwesibili ubengaziqeqeshi neqembu. Lokhu kwenziwa ukuthi ulimele, akungoba kukhona okunye okubheke eceleni,” uphendule kanje uThuswa.
Ebuzwa ngemibiko yokuthi kuthiwa uLaffor noPitso inkukhu nempaka, uThuswa uthe: “Cha ngokwazi kwami yonke into ihamba kahle, angikhumbuli bexabana nangelilodwa ilanga”.
ULaffor uthe ubhekana nobunzima emidlalweni yeChampions League ngenxa yokuthi iSundowns isiyesatshwa e-Afrika.
Ubekhona ngesikhathi iSundowns iqukula indebe yeChampions League ngo-2016. Le mpumelelo iholele ekuthen iSundowns ihlonishwe ebholeni lase-Afrika. Nokho amaBrazilians asengcupheni yokuphuma kulo mqhudelwano. Asemsileni kuGroup C oholwa yiWydad Athletics Club yaseMorocco neHoroya yaseGuniea, ngamaphuzu ayisihlanu.
Ngesonto eledlule iSundowns ikhale ngaphansi ngo 1-0 kwiTogo-Port eLome.
“Wonke umuntu ufuna ukwehlula iSundowns ngoba sesiyaziwa, besingompetha. Kwesinye isikhathi siya e-Afrika kube nzima. Angikhali ngezinkundla nesimo ngoba besikade siyiwina imidlalo ekuhambeni. ETogo angazi kwenzekeni. Besingenayo inhlanhla kodwa sisazobuya. Umehluko ngeChampions League edlule nalena wukuthi asizange sihlulwe nakowodwa umdlalo ekuhambeni. Bekukuhle lokho. Kulokhu sihluliwe emdlalweni wethu wakamuva eTogo. Kodwa ke iSundowns yiqembu elisezingeni eliphezulu. Siyazi ukuthi singawaphendula amatafula,” kusho uLaffor.
“Kunzima manje, yonke imidlalo ifana neyamanqamu. Kufanele siwine yombili imidlalo yasekhaya ngaphambi kokuya eMorocco. Akekho umuntu osifake kulolu taku kodwa sizifake thina. Okufanele sikwenze ukuwina imidlalo emibili yasekhaya, okuyinto esingakwazi ukuyenza. Lokho singakwenza ngokuthi sisebenze kanzima ensimini, silalele esikutshelwa ngabaqeqeshi bethu. Konke kuqala ngoLwesihlanu (namuhla) okunye sizokubona emuva kwalokho uma sesidlala neqembu laseGuinea.”
ISundowns ayikaze iwine nowodwa umdlalo esigabeni samaqoqo. Idlale ngokulingana ngo 1-1 neCasablanca kuleli, yabambana ngo 2-2 neHoroya ekuhambeni ngaphambi kokuthelwa othulini yiTogo-Port. Nakuba uLaffor engomunye wabadlali abaphezulu kwiSundowns kodwa ubelizwa ngendaba ijezi ngesizini ka-2017/2018.
“Ngiyajabula ukunikwa ithuba lokudlalela iSundowns futhi. Ngidinga ukuzithoba, ngilalele okushiwo ngabaqeqeshi, ngihloniphe nozakwethu. Njalo uma nginikwe ithuba ngilisebenzise. Yilokho kuphela engifuna ukukwenza. Ngifisa ukuthi le sizini ibe ngcono kunedlule. Ngifuna ukudlala ibhola. Angifuni ukuzibekela imigomo eminingi njengokuthi ngifuna ukushaya amagoli angu-50. Uma kukhona okwenzekayo ekupheleni kwesizini ngizokwamukela,” kusho uLaffor.
Uma iSundowns ihlulwa namuhla kuzofanele ithandazele ukuthi iHoroya neWydad baphinde badlale ngokulingana njengoba kwenzekile ngesonto eledlule.
Ngemuva kwalo mdlalo iSundowns izobhekana nemidlalo yokuqala ye-Absa Premiership ka-2018/2019 lapho izogijimisana neKaizer Chiefs eLoftus Stadium, ePitoli, ngo-Agasti 4. Lo mdlalo ubhekwe ngabomvu ngoba la maqembu ake adlala kwiShell Helix Cup kwawina iSundowns ngo 2-1 ngeledlule. Abadlali beChiefs uKhama Billiat, Ramahlwe Mphahlele noLeonardo Castro, akungabazeki bazobe befuna ukuyishaya iDowns.