ISundowns ivuthulule iPirates eyenze iimpazamo ezimbi kwisigaba sesibini
Kwisithuba esingaphantsi kwenyanga, i-Orlando Pirates ivuthululwe izihlandlo ezibini zonke yiMamelodi Sundowns. Emdlalweni weNedbank Cup kwiiveki ezigqithileyo, iSundowns ingombe iPirates ngo’4-1. Namhlanje iDowns ithathe ngoyithunuka esilondeni yaphumelela ngo’3-0 emdlalweni weDStv Premiership obushushu e-Orlando Stadium.
Ukuphumelela kweMamelodi Sundowns kuyibuyisele phezulu kwindawo yokuqala. Isuse AmaZulu abambe indawo yokuqala emva kokubetha iGolden Arrows ngo’1-0 emdlalweni obuseSugar Ray Xulu Stadium izolo. Kanti ukubethwa kwayo iPirates, eyenze iimpazamo kwisigaba sesibini, kuthetha ukuthi iza kuhlala emva kwamaqela afana naMaZulu ne-Arrows.
Kodwa okona okuye kothusa kukungabikho kweefolosi kwiPirates ebaleni ekuqaleni komdlalo. Emva kwesiqingatha sokuqala ebesinika umdla, omabini amaqela aye kwixesha lokuphumla enkonye iqanda macala. Umdlalo uqale ngesantya esiphezulu, iPirates ihlasele kuqala. Kodwa emva kwemizuzu embalwa, iSundowns iwuthathele kuyo umdlalo.
UThemba Zwane, uKermit Erasmus no-Aubrey Modiba ngawona madoda ebihlasela ngawo iSundowns – kodwa uThulani Hlatshwayo noNtsikelelo Nyauza bebevale mba. UWayne Sandilands uzicholachole zonke iibhola ebezinokumfaka engxakini. Naye uDenis Onyango ukhe wavala ibhola entle ebikhatywe ngu-Innocent Maela ekude.
Ibikhona imingqandandana yamathuba ebenokusetyenziswa – kodwa akubangakho qela elifuna ukuqhufuza iqanda. Bekungekho xinizelelo kangako kubadlali beDowns emva ngoba iPirates iqale umdlalo ngaphandle kweefolosi phambili. Ahlaselene kwakhona nakwesesibini isiqingatha.
Emva kwemizuzu elishumi, uRicardo Nascimento ufake igowuli lokuqala emdlalweni ngepenela emva kokuba uMaela ebambe ibhola ebhokisini. Ukhe wazama naye uDeon Hotto ukukhabela ipali emva kokufumana ibhola ephume ecaleni isuka kuBen Motshwari. Khange iwuthobe umxakatho iSundowns noxa iPirates ibizama ukuya phambili.
Emva kokuzama amatyeli aliqela, uPeter Shalulile ufake igowuli lesibini leDowns emva kwebhola ethathwe kuHlatshwayo endaweni embi. ULyle Lakay, ongene kwisigaba sesibini somdlalo, ufake igowuli lesithathu leSundowns ezuzwini wamashumi asixhenxe anethoba ngebhola ebibekwe phantsi ngaphaya komhlaba kanozinti.
Ukungena kwamadoda afana noGift Motupa, uLakay noBrian Onyango kuwenzile umahluko emdlalweni. ULebogang Maboe uphose ithuba lokufaka igowuli lesine emizuzwini yokugqibela ephambi kweepali. Iphumelele ngo’3-0 iSundowns, iziphumo eziyibuyisele kwindawo yokuqala emva kokungaphumeleli emidlalweni egqithileyo.