ISETHENJWA seKaizer Chiefs, uSiphiwe “Shabba” Tshabalala, sibalisa ngokuhluleka ukubamba umgqigqo kwezaso esibona kubalahlekisele ngezinto eziningi kusukela kuqale isizini ye-Absa Premiership ka-2017/2018.
UShabba ubelokhu eyithemba eqenjini lomqeqeshi uSteve Komphela elehlulekayo ukujabulisa abalandeli kule sizini. Nakuba iqembu beliphansi kodwa uTshabalala uhlale ezama ukulifukula.
Amakhosi azobhekana ne-Ajax Cape Town emdlalweni wePremiership eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini, kusasa ngo-8.15 ebusu.
Kusukela kuqale isizini, iChiefs ayikaze iwine imidlalo emithathu yeligi ilandelana. IMamelodi Sundowns, esivule igebe lamaphuzu ayisihlanu esicongweni se-log, iyiqembu lokuqala ukuqoqa amaphuzu ayisishiyagalolulunye emidlalweni ilandelana ngokwehlula iMaritzburg United ngoLwesithathu ebusuku.
Nakuba iChiefs ibhinjelwa yizinto kodwa isahlezi emaqenjini asengasibanga isicoco kwazise isendaweni yesithathu kwi-log.
“Ukucinana kwe-log nokungaqondakali kwemiphumela kusho ukuthi ukubamba umgqigqo kuwukhiye nokuthi kuseyinselelo emaqenjini amaningi. Uma ubambe umgqigqo unethuba elingcono lokuwina iligi. Iligi ibe nomusa kithina namanye amaqembu,” kusho uTshabalala.
“Kuseyinselelo kithina ukubamba umgqigqo. Ngicabanga ukuthi yinto okufanele sisebenze kakhulu kuyona ngonyaka ozayo. Asinaso isikhathi. Unyaka ozayo yinyanga ezayo futhi kunemidlalo emikhulu ngoJanuwari. Lona we-Ajax uzosinikeza ukuzethemba uma sithola amaphuzu aphelele ngoba senze kahle emdlalweni odlule ngokuwina. Ukuba siwine imidlalo emine noma eyisihlanu ilandelana ngabe sikwenye indawo manje ngamaphuzu amaningi. Kodwa akwenzekanga, sisendaweni yesithathu ngamaphuzu angu-19. Sonke siyazi ukuthi besingenza kangcono.”
Ukuhlala esicongweni kweSundowns sekwenze iningi liyibone iyiqembu eselivele limuke naso isicoco seligi. Abaqeqeshi abahlukene kwiPremiership okukhona kubona uGavin Hunt weBidvest Wits, sebevele baphumele obala ngokuthi iqembu elizodla umhlanganiso lizophuma kumaBrazilians neSuperSport United ka-Eric Tinkler.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi iSundowns yenze kahle, iyiqembu eliphezulu. Ingelinye lamaqembu okuthi uma seliqale ukuqoqa amaphuzu libe yingozi kakhulu. Kodwa okwamanje ngicabanga ukuthi kusavulekile. Ukusho kwami lokho akusho ukuthi kufanele sizithele ngabandayo. Ngeke iligi isaba nomusa kithina futhi iSundowns ikhombisa izinhloso zokwemuka nayo," kusho uShabba.