ONGUMDLALI wasemuva kwesokudla kuFree State Stars, uSifiso Mbhele, uthe bamagange ngokusiqala ngenothi eliphezulu isigamu sesibili sesizini ye-Absa Premiership ekhuza ibuya namuhla ngemuva kwekhefu le-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) esongwe ngeSonto.
IStars ibuyela ensimini ngokutholana phezulu neKaizer Chiefs emdlalweni oseFNB Stadium, eSoweto, namuhla ngo-7.30 ebusuku.
Leli qembu, eliguqise iCape Town City ngo 1-0 kungalindele muntu emdlalweni wokugcina weligi ngaphambi kwekhefu likaDisemba, lizogijima lo mdlalo okokuqala esandleni somqeqeshi omusha uSerame Letsoaka. Uthathe izintambo ekuqaleni kukaJanuwari emva kokwesula isigubhukane kukaGiovanni Solinas.
“Ukuwina kwethu imidlalo emibili ngaphambi kwekhefu likaDisemba kulenyuse kakhulu izinga lokuzethemba kithina njengabadlali. Bese kuphele isikhathi eside singawini,” kusho uMbhele.
IStars iqede isigamu sokuqala sesizini ihlezi endaweni ka-14 ku-log ngamaphuzu angu-14 emidlalweni engu-15. Leli qembu laseBethlehem liqale isizini liphikwa yimiphumela. Nokho liqoqe amaphuzu ayisithupha emidlalweni emithathu yokugcina.
Liguqise iBaroka FC ngo 1-0, labhaxabulwa yiBidvest Wits ngo-3-1 kolandelayo lavala ngewini ka-1-0 lithela othulini iCity ngoDisemba 21.
“Sizovula ngemidlalo emine enzima njengoba siyodlala neChiefs ekuhambeni ngoLwesibili (namuhla), silandele ngeSuperSport United ekhaya, iLamontville Golden Arrows ekuhambeni neMaritzburg United ekuhambeni.
“Yize inzima le midlalo emine esizoyidlala kodwa esizibophezele ngakho ukulwela ukubuya namaphuzu kuyona yonke. Siyazi ukuthi ngeke kube yinto elula lokho.
“Njengabadlali sikuqonda kahle ukubaluleka kokusuka kule ndawo esikuyona ku-log. Umqeqeshi uSerame nomqeqeshi uThemba Sithole (oyiphini likaLetsoaka) bayakugcizelela ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthi akufanele siyifake emiqondweni yethu indaba yezembe. Ingcabha isisele kithina badlali ukuthi sikhiphe
umsebenzi enkundleni,” kuqhuba uMbhele.
Lo mdlali uya ngokuya eba yisethenjwa odongeni lwe-Ea Lla Koto ayijoyine ngesizini edlule esuka kuPolokwane City. Useqale imidlalo eyishumi wadlala emibili esuka ebhentshini kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano selokhu kuqale isizini.
Ebuzwa ngomdlalo weChiefs wakusasa uthe: “Kuzoba ngumdlalo onzima
kuwona womabili amaqembu ngoba awadinga ngokufanayo amaphuzu. Kodwa sizimisele ngokulwela ukubuya nawo ephelele amaphuzu eFNB.”
UMbhele useyibamba noRooi Mahamutsa noThamsanqa Teyise odongeni lwasemuva abajoyine iFree State besuka ku-Orlando Pirates neSuperSport ngokwehlukana.