SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
NAKUBA i-Orlando Pirates inciphise igebe phakathi kwayo neMamelodi Sundowns, ezihola phambili kwi-log yeDStv Premiership kodwa umqeqeshi wayo uJosef Zinnbauer, usayibukela kude eyokushubisa umbango wesicoco seligi.
Ngemuva komdlalo wangoLwesibili lapho eZimnyama zihlule iBloemfontein Celtic ngo 1-0, zinyukele endaweni yesithathu kwi-log. Zivunwe nawukwehlulwa kweSwallows ebingaphezulu, eshaywe yiTS Galaxy ngo 2-1.
ISundowns izihola phambili ngamaphuzu awu-36, ilandelwe yiSuperSport United enamaphuzu awu-33 bese kuba yiPirates ngawu-32. Nokho iPirates ne-United sebenemidlalo ewu-19, iSundowns isagijime ewu-16.
UZinnbauer ebuzwa ukuthi ngabe kabaziboni yini sebengene ngokuphele embangweni wesicoco seligi, uthe: "Eyesicoco singaqala ukukhuluma ngayo emasontweni ezayo, sesidlulile emidlalweni yeCaf Confederation Cup neyeNedbank Cup. Ngaphandle kwalokhu, sesidlale imidlalo eminingi kunezimbangi zethu. Isibonelo nje, iSundowns iphethe emithathu esandleni. Nakuba kunjalo, ngijabule ngamaphuzu amathathu futhi asisebenzele kakhulu. Sizolwa kuze kube sekugcineni. Kuzomele sithathe umdlalo ngamunye.”
Lo mqeqeshi ukhuluma kanjena nje, usenqobele iPirates isicoco seMTN 8 kule sizini, okufanele wukuthi sibalolile abalandeli beZimnyama obese kuphele amasizini ayisikhombisa bengayazi indebe.
Iqembu likaZinnbauer libukeka liza kahle kwiligi, nakwiNedbank Cup lisekhona njengoba selizibekisele indawo kuma-quarterfinal, langena nasesigabeni samaqoqo kwiConfederation Cup.
NgoMgqibelo iPirates izoqhubeka nokulwela ukuthola amaphuzu amathathu uma isibhekene neChippa United, eNelson Mandela Bay Stadium ngo-5 ntambama. UZinnbauer uthe ulindele umdlalo onzima kodwa okumjabulisayo wukubuya kwabadlali bakhe abebelimele.
Ngasekupheleni komdlalo weCeltic, ufake abagadli uTshegofatso Mabasa noGabadinho Mhango obese kunesikhathi eside bagcina ukudlala ngenxa yokulimala. Abanye abadlali aveze ukuthi kungenzeka bazobe sebeluleme uThabang Monare, Thembinkosi Lorch noNkanyiso Zungu, abebengekho koweSiwelele.
"Sizobahlola kahle kulezi zinsuku ezimbili ezizayo, sizobophela abakulungele ukudlala. Emuva kwesikhathi eside ngizoke ngibe nethuba lokuzikhethela. Ngibonga kakhulu kubadlali bami, abayibambe kunzima kula masonto edlule.”