U-OWEN Da Gama uthipha izimbangi i-Orlando Pirates njengeqembu elisethubeni lokunqoba isicoco se-Absa Premiership sakule sizini.
Lo mqeqeshi weHighlands Park ubekhuluma ngemuva kokuthi ezakhe ziphume nephuzu e-Orlando Stadium emdlalweni weligi ngempelasonto zibambana ngo 1-1 nePirates.
Igoli elibawezile lidalwe yiphutha likanozinti wePirates, uWayne Sandilands, ohluleke wukuvimba ibhola abephaselwe lona nguzakwabo. YiBucs ebiwuthwele umdlalo kanti ibe isilinganisa ngephenathi kaJustin Shonga esiwombeni sesibili.
UDa Gama ukhuphule iHighlands eyisusa kwiNational First Division (NFD) lapho ike yaqhuba imidlalo ewu-18 ingayazi induku.
“Ngiyayihalalisela i-Orlando Pirates iyona ebe yiqembu elingcono kusihlwa (ngoMgqibelo). Iqede endaweni yesibili ngesizini edlule, isayinise abadlali abasezingeni eliphezulu, inethimba elifanayo labaqeqeshi futhi isibambile isigqi. Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu engikubalile, ngicabanga ukuthi iPirates ingayinqoba iligi,” kusho uDa Gama.
FUNDA:
Mayelana neqembu lakhe, uDa Gama uthe umdlalo wePirates uzobakhulisa.
Ngokwezibalo iqembu lakhe alitholanga ngisho nelilodwa ibhola elilikhahlele libheke ezintini zeBucs kulo mdlalo.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi silwile. Besinabadlali abayisikhombisa abaqala ukudlala kwiPremiership. Kimina ibhola limayelana nokunikeza abadlali abasebancane ithuba, hhayi ukushintshanisa abadlali ababodwa. Yebo isipiliyoni siyadingeka kodwa ngikholelwa ekuvumbululeni ithalente. Ngokwami uSiphiwe Mahlangu noThabo Motlafi babe nomdlalo omuhle. Ngiyaziqhenya ngendlela abadlali bami abenze ngayo. Bafundile kulokhu, okwethu wukubuyela emuva siyolungisa amaphutha,” kusho uDa Gama.
Lo mqeqeshi uthe akafuni ukubona leli qembu liphindwa okwenzeke kumasizini amabili edlule. Ligawulwe yizembe ngemuva kokuhlala isizini eyodwa esigabeni esikhulu ngo-2016/2017.
“Ekuqaleni senza iphutha sadedela bonke abadlali esasikhuphuke nabo. Ngiyakholelwa ekutheni kumele sibanike ithuba abadlali esiphule nabo amarekhodi (kwiNFD). Ngiyazi abanye babo bazokwenza kahle futhi bakhona nalabo abazohluleka ngoba izigaba azifani. Okumqoka wukufunda kule midlalo siye ngokukhula. Njengoba singabanga nawo amathuba amagoli kulo mdlalo, kolandelayo sifuna ukukhula, sibe namahlanu noma ayishumi.”
Emdlalweni ozayo iHighlands izovakashelwa yiBlack Leopards eMakhulong Stadium ngo-7.30 ebusuku.