Inkakha ibona iChiefs inganqoba ekuhambeni kowase-Afrika
Cishe akekho noyedwa obazi ukuthi iqembu lakuleli elibalwa namakhulu iKaizer Chiefs ingaqeda ibalwa namaqembu ayisi-8 aphezulu kulogi yeDStv Premiership, kodwa ngemizuzu yokugcina yakwazi ukuthi ingene. Nasemdlalweni yeCAF Champions ngesifanayo abekho obewabhekile AmaKhosi ukuthi angafika emdlalweni owandulela owamanqamu, kodwa kusasa ngoMgqibelo ayodlala umlenze wokuqala wawo.
Iqiniso ukuthi ibe nesizini embi impela iChiefs kwazise ibingavumelekile ukuthenga abadlali, phezu kwalokho ibilinyalelwa abadlali abamqoka. Okukhombisa ukuthi ibe nesizini embi emdlalweni yokugcina ikhombe indlela obengumqeqeshi wayo uGavin Hunt, obenethemba lokuthi ngesizini ezayo leli qembu liyobe selivunyelwe ukusayinisa abadlali anqobe nabo izicoco.
IChiefs izobhekana neqembu laseMorocco iWydad Casablanca, emdlalweni ozobanjelwa eStade Mohammed Stadium ngele-21:00. Lowo owayengumdlali weChiefs eyibamba esiswini ngezikhathi zakhe uStanton Fredericks, ukholelwa ukuthi amava kaSamir Nurkovic, uLeonardo Castro, uBernard Parker noLebohang Manyama angalisiza leli qembu ekutheni libuye nemiphumela evuna lona eMorocco.
La maqembu atholanile emdlalweni wamaqoqo wawo lo mqhudelwano nalapho kumlenze wokuqala khona eMorocco iWydad Casablanca yabhaxabula iChiefs ngamagoli amane eqandeni, emlenzeni wesibili iChiefs yanqoba ngegoli elilodwa kowawukuleli. IChiefs yize ngeledlule imemezele ukuthi ibuyise uStuart Baxter njengomqeqeshi wayo, kodwa ebhentshini kulo mdlalo kuzobe kuhlezi u-Arthur “10111” Zwane ngokubambisana noDillon Sheppard.
UBaxter kodwa naye uhambile neqembu yena uzoze ahlale ebhentshini emdlalweni womlenze wesibili ngempelasonto ezayo. “Abadlali beChiefs bayazi ukuthi basakweleta abalandeli njengoba behluleka ukubajabulisa ngokunqoba iligi ngesizini yangowezi-2019/20 emizuzwini yokugcina. Ilona thuba lokuthi benze abalandeli bekhohlwe okwenzeka ngokwedlule. Okuhle ngebhola ukuthi uyalenza iphutha kodwa futhi uyalithola ithuba lokuthi ulilungise. Indlela edlale ngayo emdlalweni wokugcina iChiefs ize ikwazi ukungena kuTop 8, ikhombise ukulwa nokuzithemba okuyisimanga” kusho uFrediricks.
UFrediricks ngonyaka wezi-2001 wayekhona iChiefs inqoba i-African Cup nalapho yayibhekene khona nePetro Atletico de Launda. “Indlela esanqoba ngayo salwa, sasebenzisa namava. UNurkovic ngikholwa ukuthi indlela alwa ngayo uzoyilekelela kakhulu iChiefs kodwa kumele uParker, uManyama noCastro bebe seduze kwakhe ukumlekela. IChiefs ngiyibona isethubeni elikhulu njengoba futhi iqale ekuhambeni nje” usho kanje uFrediricks.
UParker uqeda iminyaka eli-10 ekuleli qembu laseNaturena, uthe engakujabulela ethi eqeda iminyaka eli-10 neChiefs ebe enqoba neCaf Champions League. IChiefs vele isizifake emlandweni wokuthi ifike okokuqala kowandulela owamanqamu alo mqhudelwano.
“Isikhathi siyahamba impela sengineminyaka eli-10 naleli qembu elikhulu kangaka. Kukodwa lokho kuyinto enkulu, isifiso sami ukuthi ngiqeda le minyaka nginqobe lesi sicoco esifiswa inoma imuphi umdlali. Sisethubeni lokuqopha umlando, kumele siye kulo mdlalo sizithemba kakhulu. Sisebenzise amasu azosisiza ekutheni sinqobe lo mdlalo” kusho uParker oneminyaka yobudala engama-35.
Ngaphandle kwezicoco zakhe zeligi, uParker uphinde wawina iNedbank Cup neMTN8 neChiefs, kanye nesicoco se-Eredivisie neFC Twente yaseHolland. Ukunqoba kwakhe iCaf Champions League ubona kungasho kukhulu lokho kuyena.
Omunye umdlalo owandulela owamanqamu okhona kule mpelasonto owe-ES Tunis ne-Al Ahly, lo mdlalo wona uzoqala ngelesine ntambama.
