Abaqeqeshi bakuleli bazifake emlandweni e-Afrika kunobhutshuzwayo
Basethubeni elihle lokuzifaka emlandweni abaqeqeshi baseNingizimu Afrika emiqhudelwaneni yeConfederation of African Football (Caf).
Emlandweni webhola eMzansi akukaze kwenzeke ukuthi abaqeqeshi ababili abadabuka kuleli bahlabane ngezinkomishi zemiqhudelwano yeCaf ngonyaka owodwa.
Njengamanje uMandla Ncikazi noFadlu Davids abacija eZimnyama basanda kuzibekisela indawo kowamanqamu weCaf Confederation Cup.
Bathele othulini i-Al Ahly Tripoli yase-Libya ngo 2-1 sekuhlanganiswe umphumela womdlalo womlenze wokuqala nowesibili. IBhakaniya isizotholana phezulu neRSB Berkane kowamanqamu namuhla ngo-9 ebusuku eGodswill Akpabio Stadium emdlalweni obhekwe ngamehlo abomvu.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi uPitso Mosimane uzohola i-Al Ahly yase-Egypt uma isitholene phezulu neWydad Casablanca kowamanqamu weCaf Champions League. Owamanqamu weChampions League uzodlalwa mhla zingu-30 kuNhlaba eStade Mohammed V, eMorocco.
UNiel Tovey obekade engumqondisi wezinhlaka zeSouth African Football Association (Safa) utshele elaboHlanga ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi abaqeqeshi bomsinsi wokuzimilela kuleli banikwe amathuba.
“Abaqeqeshi bethu bayazithuthukisa. Yingakho kungathusi ukwenza kahle kwabo. Njengamanje sebevuna izithelo zokuzithuthukisa nokusebenza ngokuzikhandla. Ngijabule ngokwenziwe nguPitso, Mandla noFadlu. Lokhu kuyakhomba ukuthi kumele sikholelwe kubaqeqeshi bethu ngoba banalo ulwazi,” kubeka uTovey.
UNcikazi engaba ngumqeqeshi wokuqala ozalwa eNingizimu Afrika ukuphakamisa isicoco seCaf Confederation Cup.
Ngowezi-2001, uMuhsin Ertugral wakhala wemuka nesicoco seCaf Confederation Cup ngesikhathi isabizwa ngeNelson Mandela Cup.
Kusukela lapho akekho elinye iqembu laseMzansi eselake lanqoba lo mqhudelwano. U-Eric Tinkler wafinyelela amahlandla amabili kowamanqamu weConfed Cup kodwa wabanjwa sekumele ashaye intambo kuzona zombili izikhawu ehola iPirates neSuperSport United.
UNcikazi usethubeni lokuqeda ishobolo leminyaka iPirates yagcina ukukhonya Afrika. EZimnyama zadla ubhedu kuChampions League ngowe-1995. Zaba yiqembu lokuqala eNingizimu Afrika ukunqoba umqhudelwano weCaf.
Ngowezi-2013, zaqunjwa phansi yi-Al Ahly kowamanqamu weChampions League kwathi ngo-2015 zashaywa yi-Etoile Du Sahel yaseTunisia.
“Eminyakeni eyedlule iSafa isebenze kakhulu nososeshini waseJalimane ukuthuthukisa abaqeqeshi. Yingakho sibone oMosimane benza kahle ku-Al Ahly noRoger De Sa neqembu lesizwe laseGibhithe. Eminyakeni ezayo sizobona inqwaba yabaqeqeshi bakuleli bethathwa ngamaqembu akwamanye amazwe Afrika,” kuchaza uTovey.
UMosimane uvele usehlabane ngezicoco ezimbili iminyaka elandelana kuCaf Champions League. Ugaqele umlando ngoba akekho umqeqeshi oseke waphumelela kulo mqhudelwano amahlandla amathathu elandelana. Uvele ushaya ngezicoco ezintathu zeChampions League. Uyinqobile neMamelodi Sundowns ngo-2016.
“Angeke kube lula kubona bobathatha labaqeqeshi kodwa angingabazi ukuthi angeke basiphoxe. Okuhle wukuthi womabili amaqembu kowePirates azobe edlala ekuhambeni. Okumqoka nje kuPirates wukusebenzisa amathuba ngendlela bese benza isiqiniseko sokuthi bavala kuthi thanqa emuva. Bakwenzile lokho kowandulela amanqamu emzuliswaneni wokuqala,” kulandisa uTovey.