OWAYENGUMDLALI we-Orlando Pirates eminyakeni edlule, uVincent Sokhela, ukholwa wukuthi kufanele anikwe ithuba umqeqeshi osabambile kuleli qembu, uMandla Ncikazi, ngenxa yokuqonda asenakho ngaleli qembu nabadlali balo asebemazi kangcono.
USokhela owayeseqenjini lePirates elanqoba indebe yeCaf Champions League ngo-1995, usho kanjena nje, akukacaci ngekusasa likaNcikazi obeyiphini likaJose Riveiro oshiye ngasekupheleni kwesizini esanda kusongwa wajoyina i-Al Ahly yase-Egypt.
Ngemuva kokushiya kukaRiveiro, uNcikazi ubanjiswe emidlalweni emine yokugcina yesizini yeligi, wanqoba kanye, wadlala ngokulingana kwemithathu.
Kule midlalo emine yeligi edlalwe yiPirates. bekuvele kungasekho okuzoyigudluza endaweni yesibili kwi-log yeBetway Premiership, okusho ukubuyela kwayo kwiCaf Champions League ngesizini ezayo.
Njengoba seyisongiwe isizini, kulindeleke usihlalo weZimnyama, u-Irvin Khoza, amemezele maduze ngomqeqeshi ozothatha izintambo ngesizini ezayo ka-2025/26
“Ngokwami kungaba yisu eliphusile ukunikwa kukaNcikazi ithuba lokuqeqesha iPirates ngokugcwele njengenhloko yabaqeqeshi.
"Lokhu ngikusho ngoba usebe yingxenye yeqembu amasizini amane, useliqonda kahle iqembu nabadlali nabo bamazi kangcono. Ngikholwa wukuthi lokho kungenza umsebenzi wakhe ubelula uma kuwukuthi uthatha izintambo zokuqeqesha ngokugcwele.
"Ngiyakuqonda ukuthi ukuqeqesha iqembu elinjengePirates kuhambisana nengcindezi ngenxa yokuthi yiqembu elikhulu elinabalandeli abaningi abahlale belindele ukubona iqembu labo lizuza izindebe,” kusho uSokhela.
“Ngaphandle nje kwalokho, iPirates izuze izindebe (ezinhlanu) kula masizini amathathu edlule ngaphansi kukaRiveiro, nokuzokwenza kulindeleke okufanayo nakumqeqeshi olandelayo ngesizini ezayo. Ngikholwa wukuthi ukuqhubeka komqeqeshi onjengoNcikazi kungakwazi ukugcina umgqigqo ofanayo weqembu, yize mhlawumbe naye ezoba nendlela yakhe yokwenza izinto kodwa akubukeki kungahluka kakhulu kunomqeqeshi omusha osazofike aqale phansi azame nokuzinza eqenjini elisha. Kanti-ke futhi uma kwenzeka eqokwa uNcikazi, kungamsiza kakhulu ukuthi asondeze umqeqeshi onamava walapha eNingizimu Afrika azokwazi ukusebenza naye ukusa iqembu phambili."
UNcikazi, ojoyine eZimnyama ngesizini ka-2021/22 esuka kwiLamontville Golden Arrows, usesebenze nabaqeqeshi abehlukene kuleli qembu laseSoweto okubalwa kubona uJosef Zinnbauer noFadlu Davids.
Ezinkulumweni zakhe zakamuva nabezindaba, uNcikazi ukuvezile ukuthi weneme ngomsebenzi awenzayo nosathakaselwa ngabaphathi beqembu. Wakubeka ngokucacile ukuthi uzokwamukela noma yisiphi isinqumo esithathwa ngabaphathi baleli qembu ngekusasa lakhe.