SEKUNGAFANISWA nokuhluleka wukucabanga ngendlela ephusile uma sekungabhekwa ukuthi iMaritzburg United ilwele ukungena kwiTop 8 kwisizini entsha ekubeni kade ilwela ukugawulwa yizembe noma ihlale esigabeni esiphezulu i-Absa Premiership isizini yonke edlule.
Lokhu kushiwo umqeqeshi we-United u-Eric Tinkler, obekuzwakala ukuthi iyamcasula eyokubuzwa ngemibandela anayo njengoba kuzoqala isizini entsha.
UTinkler usize iTeam of Choice yangaya ehlathini benqoba imidlalo yokuhlunga ngemuva kokuqeda endaweni ka-15 kwi-log ye-Absa Premiership ngesizini edlule.
Nakuyona indawo ka-15 uyibeke khona sekuvalwe amehlo kwazise leli qembu belibhuquza emsileni we-log isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuthi uTinkler athathe izintambo.
“Kusobala ukuthi okubalulekile njengamanje wukuthi sivike izembe. Singabi sesimeni esifana nesizini edlule,” kuphendula uTinkler kade ebuzwa ngezinhloso anazo ngeqembu zesizini ezayo.
Ekhuluma nezintatheli ngesikhathi kwethulwa iPremier’s Cup, uthe ukulindela i-United ukuthi iqede kwiTop 8 noma emaqenjini amane aphezulu kuwukuphupha okufanayo nse nokwalaba abebebona iBafana Bafana isinganqoba i-Africa Cup of Nations.
Elakuleli ligcine likhishwa yiNigeria kuma-quarterfinal alo mqhudelwano obanjelwe e-Egypt.
“Ngiyacasuka kwesinye isikhathi uma nikhuluma (abezindaba) ngeBafana. Ikwazile yini ukungena emqhudelwaneni odlule? Kwenzakalani kuyona kusukela ngo-1996? Behlile. Ngo-1998 sidlale kowamanqamu, ngo-2000 eyandulela owamanqamu, ngo-2002 ama-quarterfinal, ngo-2004 kwaba isigaba samaqoqo ngemuva kwalokho kwaphela. Kodwa manje nithi kumele iwine i-Afcon. Ngokwami ukuphuma kuma-quartertfinal kukhomba ukuthi kukhona lapho esiya khona. Kumele nicabange ngendlela eqondile, asenzi ngomlingo. Ukwakha iqembu kuthatha isikhathi,” kusho uTinkler.
Uthe angathanda ukuthi iqembu liqede kwiTop 8 noma libalwe namane aphezulu.
“Kodwa akusiwona umbandela engingazibekela wona lowo okwamanje. Kuthatha isikhathi, okubalulekile wukuvika ukuba lapho ebesikhona ngesizini edlule. Ngeke usuke uthi iqembu ebelibhuquza emsileni manje sekumele liqede kwiTop 8,” kusho lo mqeqeshi owayekhona iBafana iphakamisa i-Afcon ngo-1996.