USETHUBENI lokuziqophela umlando ngokuwina enye indebe yeCAF Champions League umqeqeshi we-Al Ahly, uPitso Mosimane, ezakhe ezizodudulana nezimbangi ezingomkhaya, iZamalek kowamanqamu eCairo International Stadium, e-Egypt, namhlanje ngo-9 ebusuku.
I-Al Ahly ifinyelele kowamanqamu emuva kokuhlula iWydad Casablanca yaseMorocco kowandulela owamanqamu. IZamalek izibekisele indawo ngemuva kokuvulela isibhaxu kwiRaja Casablanca yakhona eMorocco. UMosimane, owine iChampions League neMamelodi Sundowns ngo-2016, ufice i-Al Ahly isizodlala owandulela owamanqamu. Ihambe ibanga elide iqeqeshwa nguRene’ Weiler waseSwitzerland ohlukane naleli qembu ngoba kungavunyelwana ngendaba yenkontileka entsha. UMosimane ubuye waqedela umsebenzi kaWeiler ngokuwina isicoco seligi e-Egypt.
Uma uMosimane ephumelela ukuwina iChampions League uzoba ngumqeqeshi wokuqala waseNingizimu Afrika ukuyinqoba neqembu langaphandle. Usevele uziqophele umlando ngokuba ngowokuqala wase-Afrika kodwa ongayena owase-Egypt, oqeqesha i-Ahly Ahly. Leli qembu belihlala liqasha abaqeqeshi baphesheya kwezilwandle uma lingaqoki kwabase-Egypt.
Isikhulu esiphezulu seSouth African Football Association (Safa), uTebogo Motlanthe, sifisele uMosimane inhlanhla kowamanqamu.
“Ezimeni ezijwayelekile, kufanele ngabe angichemile, ngijabulela iqembu eliphambili ezwenikazi kodwa iqiniso wukuthi ngeseka uPitso (Mosimane) ne-Al Ahly ukuthi bayiwine. Ungomunye wethu, ngakho ngichemile ngokuthi ngifuna iChampions League ilale kuphi. Ngifuna ukubona uPitso ne-Al Ahly bengompetha base-Afrika,” kusho uMotlanthe.
“KuPitso ngikufisela konke okuhle futhi uma uwina ngoLwesihlanu, uzobe ungenzanga waziqhenya wena nomndeni wakho kuphela kodwa iNingizimu Afrika yonke. Uyinxusa loqobo lezwe futhi siyazigqaja ngawe.”
I-Al Ahly ibheke ukuwina indebe yeChampions League ihlandla lesishiyagalolunye. Isiyiwine amahlandla ayisishiyagalombili. Kodwa selokhu yagcina ukudlala kowamanqamu omqhudelwano wase-Afrika ngo-2014 ngeCAF Confederation Cup. IZamalek ibheke ukuwina iChampions League okwesithupha. Yagcina ukuyiwina ngo-2002.
Emuva kokuthi abalandeli bengavunyelwa ezinkundleni emazweni amaningi ngenxa yokudlanga kweCovid-19, inhlangano eyengamele ibhola e-Afrika, iConfederation of African Football (Caf), ivumile ukuthi kungene abaphakathi kuka-5 000 no-10 000 kowamanqamu weChampions League.