ISITOBHA se-Orlando Pirates, u-Innocent Maela, situsa igalelo labadlali abanamava kweZimnyama emjahweni wesicoco se-Absa Premiership.
I-Pirates ivule igebe lamaphuzu ayisithupha phakathi kwayo neMamelodi Sundowns esicongweni se-log yePremiership emuva kokwehlula iFree State Stars ngo 2-1 e-Orlando Stadium ngoMgqibelo ebusuku. EZimnyama zinamaphuzu awu-50, ziphambili ngemidlalo emithathu kwiSundowns ekade idlala umqhudelwano iCAF Champions League. AmaBrazilians ahlalelwe wumsebenzi wokufica iPirates uma ezimisele ukuvikela isicoco seligi asiwine ngesizini edlule.
UMaela, oqokwe njengomdlali ovelele, ubalule umsebenzi wabadlali abadala kwiPirates.
“Umoya muhle eqenjini, ozakwethu basebenza ngokuzikhandla ejimini. Injabulo ikhona kodwa sinabadlali abanamava okukhona kubona uMusa Nyatama, Happy Jele, Mpho Makola noThabo Matlaba. Bangabadlali asebeke bayihamba le nyathuko, abasigcina sizithobile, sizehlisile silalela abaqeqeshi senze isiqiniseko sokuthi siyakhula, siyathuthuka njalo. Siyabona ukuthi sekusondele (ukuphakamisa indebe) kodwa futhi siyazi ukuthi kufanele sigxile emdlalweni olandelayo,” kusho uMaela.
Emidlalweni emithathu yeligi esele iPirates izobhekana neMaritzburg United, Cape Town City nePolokwane City.
Uma igcina iyiwinile iligi kuzosho ukuphela kweshobolo leminyaka eyisikhombisa. EZimnyama zigcine ukuwina isicoco seligi ngesizini ka-2011/2012 isaqeqeshwa nguRuud Krol. Ukuwina indebe zigcine ngo-2014 ziphakamisa iNedbank Cup.
Umqeqeshi uMilutin Sredojevic uthe uyawujabulela umjaho weligi.
“Isimo esinjena yisona esikwenza ukhule njengomdlali neqembu. Sonke siyakhula. Ngesizini edlule sibe sembangweni kwaze kwaba sidlala neCape Town City. Senza konke okusemandleni. Okokuqala esikufunayo wukubuyisela iqembu kwiChampions League okwesibili kulandelana. Noma yikuphi okunye okuzoza, asigxilile kukho. Wumdlalo neMaritzburg osemiqondweni yethu.”
Imiphumela ye-Absa Premiership
: Orlando Pirates 2-1 Free State Stars; SuperSport United 0-0 Polokwane City; Highlands Park 1-0 Maritzburg United; Black Leopards 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs; Chippa United 0-1 Bidvest Wits; Golden Arrows 1-1 AmaZulu FC