ISILOMO sakudala se-Orlando Pirates, uLucky Lekgwathi, sikhuze umkhuba wabalandeli wokubuka ngeso abaqeqeshi bese bebaqamba amagama angemahle njengoba benza kuJose Riveiro owayebizwa ngo-plumber ngesikhathi efika eMzansi, ngo-2022, kodwa wahamba esebalwa nabayohlala besemlandweni weZimnyama.
IPirates ibashiye bemangele abalandeli bayo ngesikhathi iqeda ukuqagela ngokumemezela u-Abdeslam Ouaddou waseMorocco njengomqeqeshi wayo omusha.
Ngokusho kwesitatimende sePirates ebesiqinisekisa ukuqashwa kuka-Ouaddou (46) obeqeqesha kwiMarumo Gallants ngesizini edlule, uzosizwa nuuMandla Ncikazi, Rayaan Jacobs, Helmi Gueldich noTyron Damons opheka onozinti.
U-Ouaddou, oshiye kungasemnandi kwiGallants ngenxa yemali, wadlala isikhathi eside njengesitobha eqenjini lesizwe laseMorocco kanti uneziqu zokuqeqesha ze-UEFA Pro Licence. Ngaphambi kokuqashwa eMzansi, uqeqeshe i-AS Vita yaseDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Emidlalweni engu-12 kwiGallants, ayisizise isilengelwa yizembe kwiBetway Premiership, unqobe emihlanu, wadlala ngokulingana kwemine washaywa kwemithathu. Emidlalweni ayiwinile kukhona ashaye kuwona iPirates ngo 2-0.
Kucace kunemizuzu kumenyezelwe ukuthi iningi labalandeli bePirates lishaqekile ezinkundleni zokuxhumana ngokuqashwa kuka-Ouaddou kwazise amahlebezi abekhomba ukubuya kwendodana yolahleko, uRulani Mokwena.
Ngesikhathi uLekgwathi ekhuluma neSolezwe ngemuva kwalesi simemezelo ukhumbuze abalandeli ngokuphoxeka kwabo esegila izimanga uRiveiro ababembiza ngo-plumber ngesikhathi efika.
“Angiqali ukukusho lokhu kodwa sonke esixhumene nePirates kusukela kubalandeli kuya ezinkakheni zeqembu kufanele simamukele ngezandla ezimhlophe umqeqeshi esinikwe yena,” kusho uLekgwathi.
“Ngesikhathi usihlalo (Irvin Khoza) ememezela uRiveiro, wawumkhulu umsindo kukhona ngisho abePirates ababembiza ngo-plumber kodwa uhambe esehlonishwa ngenxa yezinto asenzele zona.
“Kungaba elikhulu iphutha uma singenza okufanayo naku-Ouaddou ngoba yena sike sambona kancane kwiGallants. Ngimfisela okuhle umqeqeshi wethu omusha nokuthi afike lapho noRiveiro engazange afike khona."
ULekgwathi obalwa nokaputeni beZimnyama abaphakamise izindebe eziningi uzwakalise ukuthi akalingabazi ikhono labaphathi bePirates lokuqoka umqeqeshi.
“Kusezandleni zethu ukwenza umqeqeshi omusha ukuthi azizwe esekhaya ukuze ezowenza kahle umsebenzi. IPirates ayikaze ishaye eceleni ngomqeqeshi ngakho-ke nakulokhu sibheke okukhulu kwazise nesikwati sibukeka siqine ngokwanele,” kusho uLekgwathi.
Nakuba lo kaputeni encoma abaphathi bePirates ngokungashayi eceleni uma beqoka umqeqeshi kodwa kukhona lapho bashaya khona isikhala eminyakeni edlule. Kubaqeqeshi bangaphandle abahlulekile ukujabulisa abalandeli kwiPirates kukhona uShaibu Amodu waseNigeria, Jean Yves-Kerjean, Kalambay “Bibey” Motombo, Kjell Jonevret, Muhsin Ertugral noVladimir Vermezovic ukubala abambalwa.
Khona izolo iPirates ikhiphe uhla lwemidlalo emine ezozicijela ngayo ukuqala kwesizini entsha eSpain kusukela ngoJulayi 11.
Imidlalo yePirates eSpain:
Julayi 11 v Bolton Wanderers (England)
Julayi 13 v Pafos FC (Cyprus)
Julayi 17 v Las Palmas (Spain)
Julayi 19 v Granada FC (Spain)