ZAKHELE XABA
IZINQUMO ezingagculisi zonompempe emidlalweni yamanqamu phakathi kweKaizer Chiefs neMamelodi Sundowns eminyakeni edlule yizona ezenza kube nzima ukuphatha lo mdlalo.
Lona wumbono woqweqwe lukanompempe u-Andile “Ace” Ncobo osengomunye wabacija onompempe ngaphansi kweSouth African Football Association (Safa) kuleli. Njengoba lusondela usuku lomdlalo wamanqamu weTelkom Knockout ozoba phakathi kweSundowns neChiefs ngoDisemba 16 eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini, imicabango yabalandeli ihlezi kunompempe ozowuphatha. Izikhalo ebezilandela imidlalo yamanqamu ngendlela onompempe ababeyiphatha ngayo kowamanqamu weRothmans Cup esiyiTelkom, yizona uNcobo abona ukuthi zakhe ukungezwani kakhulu kubalandeli beChiefs neSundowns. Umdlalo okusakhalwa ngawo namanje owawungo-1998 lapho unompempe nabasizi bakhe baphika igoli likaJoel “Fire” Masilela elalizokwenza iSundowns iyiwine iRothamans Cup.
La maqembu azobanga isizumbulu sika-R4.25 million kulo mdlalo amathikithi awo adayiswe aphela ngamahora amathathu ngesonto eledlule.
UNcobo uthe ukudlalisa iChiefs neSundowns sekunzima ngisho kunokuphatha umdlalo wabakhaya baseSoweto, iChiefs ne-Orlando Pirates.
“Abalandeli beChiefs nabePirates sebeyazwana akusafani nakuqala. Kodwa kwabeChiefs neSundowns kusenokungezwani engingazi ukuthi kuqhamukaphi. Ngibona ukuthi kwadalwa yizinqumo zonompempe ezathathwa emidlalweni yamanqamu eminyakeni edlule. Lokho kusho ukuthi unompempe kufanele aqaphele uma edlalisa la maqembu,” kusho uNcobo.
“Kungcono ngisho ukudlalisa iChiefs nePirates kunokudlalisa iChiefs neSundowns ngoba abadlali bayaxabana kakhulu, bayalwa. Lokhu kwenza umsebenzi kanompempe ube nzima kakhulu. Ngokwami abalandeli beChiefs nabeSundowns sekufanele bakudlulise okwenzeka eminyakeni edlule. Ngikholwa wukuthi sesadlula kudala kuleso sikhathi lapho izinto ezingalungile ebholeni zazenzeka khona. Kufanele iphutha likanompempe balithathe njengephutha.”
Phezu kokuba iSundowns ingakaze iyihlule iChiefs emdlalweni wamanqamu kusuka kwasungulwa iPremier Soccer League ngo-1996 kodwa abalandeli baBafana BaStyle banethemba elisha ngendlela iqembu labo elidlala kahle ngayo ngaphansi komqeqeshi uPitso “Jingles” Mosimane. Eminyakeni edlule owayengumqeqeshi weSundowns uPaul Dolezar, owayeqale kuChiefs, wathusa iningi ethi iChiefs ngeke uyihlule kowamanqamu. Lawo mazwi abalandeli beSundowns abakawakhohlwa. UDolezar wayehlule iSundowns kowamanqamu weRothmans esacija iChiefs.
Nakuba uNcobo enethemba lokuthi iNingizimu Afrika inabo onompempe abazokwazi ukuphatha umdlalo wamanqamu kodwa bayabalwa abaqokelwa ukuphatha imidlalo yeConfederation of African Football (Caf). Emqhudelwaneni i-African Nations Championships (Chan) ezoba seRwanda kusuka ngoJanuwari 16 kuya kuFebhuwari 8, elakuleli lizomelwa ngunompempe uDaniel Bennett nomsizi kanompempe uSteven Khumalo kuphela.
“Kulula ukuqonda ukuthi kungani onompempe bethu bentuleka ezingeni leCaf. Eminyakeni edlule besinabaningi abasezingeni eliphezulu, ngebhadi iningi labo lathatha umhlakaphansi ngesikhathi esisodwa okwaphoqa ukuthi sifake abasebancane abasadinga amava,” kusho uNcobo.