Intaka ibekelwe amazolo ngeTelkom eThekwini
Izinkunzi zaseSoweto zizodudulana nezinkunzi zakweleNdlovukazi uMthaniya, kosala oyedwa
ABATHANDI bezemidlalo KwaZulu-Natal bazozitika ngonobhutshuzwayo kanye nebhola lo mbhoxo kule mpelasonto. Okwenza ukuthi kube yimpelasonto ezodla ngedili lezemidlalo ukuthi labo abahola zingama-25 inkece izobe ibuzwa kubona, okuletha inhlansi yethemba ukuthi izinkundla zingase zigcwale phama. Kusuka namuhla ngoLwesihlanu kuze kube isebusuku ngoMgqibelo ithelevishini kungenzeka ingabukwa kangako emakhaya njengoba kulindeleke ukuthi abantu bethutheleke ezinkundleni ezehlukene, ikakhulukazi ngenxa kanobhutshuzwayo bese kuthi kusasa ngoMgqibelo ngehora lesine, kutholane phezulu iCell C Sharks neDHL Western Province emdlalweni wamanqamu kuCurrie Cup kwelombhoxo.
Unobhutshuzwayo yiwona obonakala uze kabi kule mpelasonto. Akuyona into eyenzeka njalo ukuthi izinkunzi zaseSoweto zibe sedolobheni laseThekwini ngosuku ololudwa okanye ngempelasonto eyodwa. I-Orlando Pirates neKaizer Chiefs bazodudulana namaqembu aseThekwini iLamontville Golden Arrows noSuthu emqhudelwaneni weTelkom Knockout “Ziwa Mo” (TKO) emzuliswaneni kulast 16. Lo mqhudelwano uzoqala namuhla ngoLwesihlanu eMgungundlovu nalapho iMaritzburg United izotholana khona phezulu nePlatinum Stars, eHarry Gwala Stadium limbumbene elesi-8 ebusuku. Kuzothi kusasa ngoMgqibelo ePrincess Magogo Stadium, kududulane i-Arrows neBhakabhaka ligamenxe ihora lesithathu ntambama.
Ngesikhathi la maqembu omabili egcina ukuhlangana emdlalweni womkhumulajezi, iPirates yanqoba ngegoli elilodwa eqandeni emdlalweni owandulela owamanqamu kuNedbank Cup enkundleni efanayo ngoNhlaba nonyaka. Igoli lamaSea Robbers lavalelwa phakathi u-Abbubaker Mobara. Abafana Bes’thende bazibuyisile izinduku emdlalweni wokugcina we-Absa Premiership benqoba ngamagoli amabili kwelilodwa eMoses Mabhida Stadium. Okwenza umqeqeshi we-Arrows uClinton Larsen aqine idolo ukuthi uyiqale kahle isizini nezakhe njengoba Abafana Bes’thende kuyilona lodwa iqembu elingakashaywa ku-Absa Premiership kule sizini. EzikaLarsen zisendaweni yesibili kulogi ngamaphuzu ali-15 emidlalweni eyisi-9.
“Ngesikhathi ingakaqali isizini sibe namalungiselelo amahle kakhulu, kungakho ngingethuki uma sidlala ngale ndlela. Ngiyazi ukuthi bakhona abathi sisazosuka kule ndawo esikuyona kungene amaqembu amakhulu aziwayo kodwa okwamanje sisakuthokozela ukuhlala khona, sizowalinda futhi aze asisuse phezulu,” kusho uLarsen ngoLwesibili ezakhe zilungiselela umdlalo neziMnyama. IPirates ayizange ibe nesizini enhle ngokwedlule, nokufakazelwe ukuthi yehluleke okokuqala ukungena kuTop 8 kusuka ngowe-1996. Nokho kule sizini selokhu izintambo zithathwe uMilutin “Micho” Srodojevic, izinto ziguqukile. Ngokusho kukaLarsen iPirates ishintshe kakhulu kule sizini, futhi inobungozi.
“Kuyazibonakalela ukuthi uMicho ufike noguquko olukhulu. Kumanje basendaweni yesithathu kulogi, futhi badlala ibhola elihle kakhulu. Kungakho sinethimba labaqeqeshi sicubungula indlela esizozama ngayo ukuthi bangalinge basivalele ekhoneni, kungenjalo sizowukhomba umuzi onotshwala,” kubeka uLarsen. IPirates isiwunqobe kanye lo mqhudelwano selokhu waziwa ngeTelkom Knockout. EziMnyama ziwunqobe ngowezi-2011 zishaya iBidvest Wits ngamagoli amathathu kwelilodwa eMoses Mabhida Stadium. Okuqaphelekayo ngePirates ukuthi isifike kowamanqamu kulo mqhudelwano amahlandla amane, yanqoba kanye vo. Ngowezi-2008, ezikaMagebhula zikhale ngaphansi ku-Ajax Cape Town ngamagoli amabili kwelilodwa, kwathi ngowezi-2010 zashaywa iKaizer Chiefs ngamagoli amathathu eqandeni, ngowezi-2013 zithelwe othulini iPlatinum Stars ngamagoli amabili kwelilodwa.
Omunye obhekwe ngabovu uphakathi koSuthu oluzotholana phezulu na-Amakhosi kuTKO. Lo mdlalo ungoMgqibelo eMoses Mabhida Stadium, uzoqala imizuzu ili-15 libumbene elesi-8 ebusuku. Umgadli woSuthu uSiyabonga “Bhele” Nomvethe oshaye igoli le-120 ezakhe zibhekene neMamelodi Sundowns kowe-Absa Premiership ngeledlule utshele izintatheli izolo ngoLwesine ukuthi bazoyihlonipha iChiefs, kodwa lokho akuzukusho ukuthi abafuni ukunqoba bedlulele emzuliswaneni olandelayo. “Sizobahlonipha kwazise bayiqembu elikhulu kodwa sifuna ukwedlulela emzuliswaneni olandelayo. Kuyisifiso sami ukuthi bonke laba badlali abasebancane abagijimela uSuthu banqobe okungenani isicoco esisodwa kule sizini. Kwamina uqobo kade ngagcina ukunqoba isicoco,” kusho uNomvethe ngemva kokuziqeqesha izolo.
IChiefs isiwunqobe amahlandla amathathu lo mqhudelwano selokhu waxhaswa ngabakwaTelkom. Amakhosi awunqobe ngowezi-2007, ngowezi-2009 kanye nangowezi-2010. Nokho ngowezi-2015 ahlangane nembibizane ethelwa othulini yiMamelodi Sundowns ngamagoli ama-3 kwelilodwa kowamanqamu eMoses Mabhida Stadium. Abavikela lesi sicoco iCape Town City abazoyivula neBaroka FC ngeSonto ePeter Mokaba Stadium.
