Iphume ngomva iDowns kwiMTN8 emva kokungcwatywa nguSaleng oxakileyo
Ithemba leMamelodi Sundowns lokukhusela indebe yeMTN8 litshabalele namhlanje emva kokuba ingcwatywe yi-Orlando Pirates ngamagowuli amathathu eqandeni emdlalweni obutak’ iintlantsi ePeter Mokaba Stadium ngale njikalanga. Emva kokuba la maqela mabini engazange akwazi ukufaka amagowuli emdlalweni wokuqala eSoweto, namhlanje iPirates ibikeleme ngendlela emangalisayo ePolokwane. Ezimnyama zisiqale kakuhle isigaba sokuqala somdlalo ngegowuli elifakwe nguKermit Erasmus emzuzwini wesibhozo. UKermit ufake igowuli emva kwebhola ethe gqi ekunene kuMonnapule Saleng oxakileyo kwezi ntsuku. Abadlali beSundowns badlale ibhola yabo entle njengesiqhelo, ingxaki namhlanje bebengakwazi ukugqobhoza kwiPirates emva. Iyekiwe iSundowns yadlala ibhola – kodwa iibhola zayo bezikhawuleza ziqhawulwe kwiindawo eziyingozi.
Enye into eyenziwe ngabadlali bePirates, bebekhawuleza bayivale iDowns ngelikhusela igowuli ebikhokela ngalo emdlalweni. Ngaphandle kwebhola ebikhe yazanywa nguTeboho Mokoena kwisigaba sokuqala, akukho nto ingenye ebikhe yamxakekisa uSiyabonga Mpontshane obethathe indawo kaRichard Ofori ezipalini. Kuyiwe kwixesha lokuphumla iPirates inamandla ngoba ibinegowuli ebhodini. Lo nto ibeke uxinizelelo kwiSundowns ebekufuneka ifake amagowuli amabini ukuze iphumelele umdlalo wanamhlanje. UJose Riveiro akayiguqulanga indlela edlale ngayo iPirates. Iphinde yahlala emva imane ilantya iibhola ngelizama ukufumana amathuba.
Mhlawumbi, ukungabiko kukaPeter Shalulile kube nomthelela ekubethweni kwayo namhlanje ngoba ngoyena mdlali okwaziyo ukusebenzisa nokuba ithuba lingakanani elivelayo. Kubekho iintlantsana ezintaluzayo zamathuba emva kokungena kuGift Motupa – kodwa naye ebegadwe kakhulu nguNdah noSibini abenze umsebenzi ococekileyo emva. USaleng ufake igowuli lesibini emva kwebhola entle ayifumene kuZakhele Lepasa ongene kwisigaba sesibini. Khange kube kudala, uphinde wabuya uSaleng nesikhonkwane esitywine ibhokisi yeSundowns ephume ngomva kwiMTN8 ebiqala ukuyiphumelela kunyaka ophelileyo. Ngoku iPirates ilindele iqela eza kudibana nalo emva komdlalo ophakathi kwaMaZulu neKaizer Chiefs. Umdlalo wokugqibela uza kudlalwa ngomhla wesihlanu kwinyanga ezayo eMoses Mabhida Stadium.