ITHUMELE umyalezo oshubile iBlack Leopards izolo ntambama ithela othulini iPlatinum Stars ngo 1-0 emdlalweni wokuhlungela ukuzibekisela indawo kwi-Absa Premiership.
Igoli leLeopards libaselwe enethini nguPhathushedza Nange ngomzuzu ka-52 kulo mdlalo obekugqame kuwona iqembu lasekhaya eThohoyandou Stadium.
I-Leopards ikukhombise kwacaca bha ukuthi isikhathele wukuhluleka emidlalweni yokuhlungela. Abadlali bayo ubungabuzi ukuthi balambele ukuthi asale ekhaya amaphuzu amathathu.
Leli qembu liye emdlalweni lingazi ukuthi lizodlala naliphi iqembu emidlalweni yokuhlunga kwazise i-Ajax Cape Town idlulisele isinqumo somehluleli ozimele eNkantolo eNkulu yaseGauteng ifuna kumiswe ukuqala kwemidlalo yokuhlunga.
Icala lingene ngo-10 ekuseni kodwa lahlehliswa ngo-4 ntambama. I-Leopards kucacele ngisho ingane encane ukuthi ayizange iyiphazamise indaba yokuthi ibingazi ukuthi izodlala naliphi iqembu kodwa ibigxile kokuyisebenzele ukuze ifinyelele kweyokuhlunga.
Iqede endaweni yesibili kwiNational First Division (NFD). Isihluleke izikhawu ezintathu zilandelana kweyokuhlunga. Ngesizini edlule iLeopards ikhale ngaphansi emidlalweni yokuhlunga, kwanqoba iBaroka. Ngo-2015/2016, iPolokwane City yiyona eyaba ngompetha bemidlalo yokuhlunga, iLeopards yasala incela izithupha.
Kwaba yinto efanayo ngo-2014/2015, iJomo Cosmos idla ubhedu kweyokuhlunga. I-Leopards yiyona eyakhe amathuba angcono okushaya amagoli ngesiwombe sokuqala kodwa yehluleka yancama wukubhakuzisa inethi.
Akuzange kuthuse ukuhamba kwayo phambili ngemuva kwemizuzu eyisikhombisa kuqale isiwombe sesibili. UNange nguyena obeke iLeopards phambili ngomzuzu ka-52.
IDikwena ithwale kanzima ukulawula ijubane labadlali beLeopards abebengena bephindelela ebhokisini layo. Njengamanje iLeopards iyona ehlezi esicongweni emidlalweni yokuhlunga ngamaphuzu amathathu ngemuva komdlalo owodwa. Kuzocaca kusasa ukuthi iyaqhubeka yini imidlalo yokuhlunga uma udaba lukaTendai Ndoro ne-Ajax selubuyela enkontolo. Umdlalo wesibili kumele udlalwe ngeSonto ngo-3 ntambama phakathi kweJomo Cosmos neLeopards.
UNdoro osemabhukwini e-Urban Warriors ulahlwe yicala lokwephula imithetho yeFifa ngokudlalela amaqembu amathathu ngesizini eyodwa, okuyinto ephambene nemithetho yebhola. Lokhu kuphethe ngokuthi iphucwe amaphuzu awu-10 okuholele ekutheni igawulwe yizembe kwathi iDikwena ebigawulwe yizembe yazitholela indawo kweyokuhlunga.
Khonamanjalo iFC Barcelona, engompetha baseSpain, ishaye iMamelodi Sundowns, ompetha baseNingizimu Afrika, ngo 3-1 emdlalweni weMandela Centenary Cup eFNB Stadium, eNasrec, izolo ebusuku. Lo mdlalo wokugubha iminyaka ewu-100 kwazalwa uNelson Mandela ubuhanjelwe yizinkumbi zabalandeli bakanobhutshuzwayo.