PHEZU kokuba iMamelodi Sundowns ikwazile ukwedlulela emzuliswaneni olandelayo wama-quarterfinal eCaf Champions League, kodwa iphini lomqeqeshi waleli qembu uRulani Mokwena, alikufihlanga ukuphoxeka kwabo ngokushaywa ngo 2-0 yiCR Belouizdad, yase-Algeria.
Umdlalo ubuseLoftus Versfeld Stadium, eTshwane ngoLwesihlanu ntambama.
IBelouizdad eyaxetshulwa ekhaya ngo 5-1 yiDowns emlenzeni wokuqala, kucacile ukuthi ibingazile ukuzosinisa amahleza emdlalweni ishaya amagoli amabili ngesiwombe sokuqala, eshaywa u-Amir Sayoud no-Ahmed Gasmi.
Nakuba iDowns ibisivele iye emdlalweni isizibekisele indawo kuma-quarterfinal, kodwa iBelouizdad ibiwadinga kakhulu amaphuzu kulo mdlalo ukuze nayo yedlulele emzuliswaneni olandelayo.
Umphumela ubeke leli qembu lase-Algeria endaweni yesibili kwiGroup B weChampions League ngamaphuzu ayisishiyagalolunye, ngemuva kweSundowns ebiziqengqelezela phambili ngamaphuzu angu-13.
“Sidumele ngokwehlulwa kwethu kulo mdlalo nangendlela nje esidlale ngayo, ikakhulukazi esiwombeni sokuqala, lapho esidedele khona amagoli amabili. Asidlalanga neze kahle kulo mdlalo, iqiniso lihle. Kodwa-ke sithole isifundo ngokwehlulwa kwethu njengoba sidlulela phambili emzuliswaneni olandelayo,” kusho uMokwena ekhuluma nabezindaba.
Okuqaphelekile kulo mdlalo wukuthi iDowns iwuqale ngeqembu elishintshe kakhulu, kubonakala ukuthi kunikwa ithuba abanye abadlali asebenesikhathi bagcina ukuthola ijezi.
Ezintini bekuboshelwe uRicardo Goss, emuva kunguRicardo Nascimento, uGeorge Maluleka ongavamile ukudlala kule ndawo noBrian Madiba Onyango, naye osenesikhathi eside agcina ukudlala ngenxa yokulimala.
Esiswini ibophele u-Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau noHlompho Kekana, naye futhi osenesikhashana engadlali kuthiwa “uyaphunyuzwa”, phambili ihlasela ngoPeter Shalulie wodumo, uThapelo Morena ovame ukudlala emuva noSibusiso “Villa” Vilakazi.
Ebuzwa ngalezi zinguquko uMokwena, uthe: “Angikholwa wukuthi sikhona isidingo sokuthi kube khona imibuzo ngezinga lalaba badlali, ngoba uGoss ungunozinti osezingeni eliphezulu, uModiba naye kanjalo ungumdlali osezingeni ovame nokubizwa eqenjini lesizwe.
“Ngokunjalo no-Onyango ungumdlali osezingeni eliphezulu odlala naseqenjini lesizwe laseKenya, ngakho-ke angisiboni ngempela isidingo sokushaya amakhala ngezinga lalaba badlali,” kuqhuba uMokwena. Ufunge wagomela ukuthi ezakhe zizokwazi ukuvuka zizithathe emidlalweni elandelayo.
Umqeqeshi weBelouizdad, uFrance Dumas, uzwakalise ukukuthakasela ukunqoba kwezakhe emdlalweni. Ukubeke ngokucacile ukuthi kusho lukhulu kubona ukwedlulela kuma-quarterfinal omqhudelwano okokuqala ngqa.
“Umsebenzi wethu omkhulu siwenze ngenkathi sishaya iTP Mazembe, njengoba manje sesishaya iSundowns nje. Sithokoze kakhulu ngalo mphumela,” kusho uDumas.
Njengoba isongwa eyamaqoqo eChampions League kule mpelasonto, kubhekwe ngabomvu ukuthi ngabe iDowns kungenzeka yini iqhathwe ne-Al Ahly, yase-Egypt, eqeqeshwa wuPitso Mosimane, nayo esikwazile ukuzibekisela indawo kuma-quarterfinal omqhudelwano.
Empeleni isivele iqalile imvunge kubathandi bebhola baseNingizimu Afrika, abasha amashushu ngokubona lezi zingqungqulu zihlabana amalunda.