IMAMELODI Sundowns, igaqele umgadli waMaZulu, u-Emiliano Tade wase-Argentina osezakhele ugazi eMzansi ngesizini yakhe yokuqala kwi-Absa Premiership.
UTade, obekade edlala eNew Zealand ngaphambi kokusayiniswa wuSuthu, useshaye amagoli ayisihlanu kwiPremiership. Usanda kuhlabana ngomklomelo womdlali ovelele wenyanga kwiPremiership.
Umqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns, uPitso Mosimane, uphumele obala ngesifiso sokusayinisa lo mgadli. Nakuba engaliphimiselanga igama lakhe kodwa uchaze kwacaca ukuthi ubhekise kuTade.
Eminyakeni edlule uMosimane uzifake enkingeni ngokudalula esidlangalaleni amagama abadlali abafunayo. Lokhu bekungehli kahle kwezinye izikhulu zamaqembu.
“Kukhona umgadli omuhle engimthandayo kwenye indawo eKZN kodwa umqeqeshi usevele ungixwayisile ukuthi angiyeke. Ngithe kulungile ngizohambela kude. Ngifuna ukubanika omunye umdlali. Ngizoqhubeka nokuzama,” kusho uMosimane.
“Kunzima ukuthola umdlali ngalesi sikhathi sesizini. Amaqembu awafuni ukudedela abadlali. Akutshela ukuthi sivika izembe noma silwela ukungena kwiTop 8. Akekho umuntu ozokunikeza abadlali bakhe. Okwamanje wukuvumelana ngokuthi uma kuphela isizini ngingamthola umdlali othize. Okukhulu okwamanje abasuka kithina beya kwamanye amaqembu. Kodwa ke asishodi kakhulu. Kungaba mnandi ukuba nomunye umgadli engizomfaka uma ngikhipha uBrockie (Jeremy).”
UMosimane uphinde wadalula ukuthi iSundowns ishiywa nguToni Silva waseGuinea Bissau ofike eChloorkop kubhekwe lukhulu kuyena. Kuthiwa usecele ukubuyela e-Europe lapho ekade edlala khona ngaphambi kokujoyina iSundowns.
ISundowns ihlule iMaritzburg United ngo 1-0 wegoli likaHlompho Kekana eLoftus Versfeld Stadium, ePitoli, ngoLwesithathu ebusuku. Lokhu kusho ukuqhubeka kwerekhodi layo lokungehlulwa kwiPremiership kusukela kuqale isizini ka-2018/2019.
Kusasa uMosimane kufanele aqhamuke neqhinga lokuhlula iWydad Casablanca yaseMorocco emdlalweni weCAF Champions League eLucas Moripe Stadium. Umdlalo uzoqala ngo-9 ebusuku.
AmaBrazilians avule ngesibhaxu sika 2-1 esigabeni samaqoqo asithole kwiLobi Stars yaseNigeria ekuhambeni ngesonto eledlule. Okwesithathu iminyaka ilandelana iSundowns iqhathwa neWydad esigabeni samaqoqo.
“Izinto azihambanga ngendlela ebesikade sifuna ngayo. Besifisa ukushesha sishaye amagoli koweMaritzburg ukuze songe abadlali abamqoka ngoba sizobadinga kakhulu koweWydad. Kodwa sizithole sesidlala isikhathi eside iWydad isibuka” kusho uMosimane.
“Singabangani neWydad, sihlala sidlala nayo. Bayakwazi ukuwina umdlalo. Bakwazi ukuwina lapha. Bayakwazi ukuthola iphuzu lapha futhi bahlala belintshontsha njalo. Nyakenye bantshontshe iphuzu ngoba senza iphutha elikhulu. Kodwa ngaphambi kwalokho sabahlula lapha ngo 1-0. Bahlakaniphile. Ngeke bazame ukusikhombisa ukuthi bangesehlula. Bayazi ukuthi uma bethole iphuzu baqedile.”