ZAKHELE XABA
I NJINI yeBloemfontein Celtic, uDumisani “Du” Zuma, ifuna balwele amaphuzu agcwele ku-Orlando Pirates phezu kokuba ithimba labaqeqeshi seliphumele obala ngokugxila koweMTN 8 wangempelasonto.
ICeltic, ezovakashela iKaizer Chiefs emdlalweni womlenze wesibili weMTN 8 eFNB Stadium ngoMgqibelo ngo 8.15 ebusuku, izogadulisana nePirates emdlalweni we-Absa Premiership eFree State Stadium namuhla ngo 7.30.
IPhunya Sele Sele ibambane ngo 1-1 neChiefs emlenzeni wokuqala eFree State Stadium. Kuvele ukuthi ithimba labaqeqeshi eliholwa nguClinton Larsen aliyingeni eyokudlalela ukuzephula kowePirates kwazise selibheke ukuhlomela umdlalo womkhumulajezi okufanele nakanjani bashaye kuwona igoli ukuze bazibeke ethubeni lokudlulela kowamanqamu ozoba ngoSepthemba 19.
UZuma, ongomunye wabadlali abangaconsi phansi kuLarsen, ukuqinisekisile ukuthi abaqeqeshi bakhuluma ngoweMTN 8 wathi ngendlela izinto ezenzeka ngayo ejimini kusobala ukuthi kunabadlali abaningi abangakaze badlale abazothola ithuba kowePirates.
ICeltic ayikaze iwine emidlalweni emibili esayidlalile kusukela kuqale isizini ka-2015/2016. Emdlalweni wokuqala ihlulwe yiPolokwane City ngo 3-2 ePeter Mokaba Stadium kwathi ngempelasonto yavumela iPlatinum Stars ibuye emdlalweni ophele zibambene ngo 1-1.
“Ngiyathanda ukuthi senze kahle nasemidlalweni yeligi kodwa abaqeqeshi bayakhombisa ukuthi bagxile kakhulu emdlalweni weMTN 8 neChiefs ngempelasonto. Baningi abadlali abajwayele ukudlala abazokongiwa,” kusho uZuma.
“Kodwa lokho akusho ukuthi iPirates izozihambela kalula. IPirates iyiqembu elihlangene elenza kahle kakhulu okwamanje. Nokho ukungakwazi ukushesha kwabadlali bayo basemuva yilona nxeba esizongena ngalo. Indlela yethu yokudlala isebenzisa ijubane nabadlali abasheshayo okuzoba yinkinga kuPirates. Ngikholwa wukuthi kubalulekile ukuthi sithole amaphuzu amathathu.”
Nakuba kulindeleke ukuthi uLarsen asishintshe isikimu sakhe kodwa kungenzeka ambophele umgadli uHelder Pelembe okungabuzwa ukuthi ukulambele ukujabhisa abalandeli bePirates abegijima kuyo ngesizini edlule. Lo mgadli usevele uyaziwa ePhefeni kwazise uyena oshaye igoli elenze badlale ngokulingana neChiefs emlenzeni wokuqala weMTN 8.
IPirates, ematasa nemidlalo yeCaf Confederation Cup esidlulele kowamanqamu kuyo, isawine umdlalo owodwa yahlulwa komunye kwemibili esayidlalile kule sizini. Ikhale ngaphansi kuSuperSport United ngo 1-0, yabhudluza iChippa United ngo 4-1 emdlalweni wesibili. Nokho ukuba sefomini kwabadlali abafana noMpho Makola, Kermit Erasmus noSifiso Myeni yikhona okungase kushiye kukhalwa eFree State. Ezintini kulindeleke ukuthi kuvimbe uSiyabonga Mpontshane kwazise uBrighton Mhlongo usalimele. UFelipe Ovono obevimbe koweCaf kungenzeka alinde ukudlala owandulela owamanqamu kwazise uyena yedwa unozinti obhalisiwe emidlalweni yangaphandle.
Umqeqeshi wePirates, u-Eric Tinkler, ucashunwe ku-website yeqembu ekuqinisekisa ukuthi uzobashintshanisa onozinti bakhe: “Ngake ngasho futhi ngisasho namanje, kufanele ngimvikele u-Ovono ngoba uyena kuphela unozinti enginaye emidlalweni yeCaf. USiya uyena ozodlala uma sesibhekene neBloemfontein Celtic. Iqiniso ukuthi nginonozinti abane kodwa babili kuphela abasesimweni sokudlala.”
Imidlalo yePremiership:
Namuhla ngo-7.30 ebusuku:
Ajax v FS Stars (Cape Town Stadium), SuperSport v Cosmos (Lucas Moripe), Platinum v Arrows (Royal Bafokeng), Celtic v Pirates (Free State), Wits v Maritzburg (Bidvest Stadium)