UMokwena usayigaqele iChampions League
Akalilahlile ithemba lokuphakamisa isicoco seCaf Champions League umqeqeshi weMamelodi Sundowns uRhulani Mokwena.
NgoLwesihlanu iSundowns ikhishwe yi-Esperance yaseTunisia emdlalweni owandulela amanqamu eChampions League.
Leli qembu elisuka Enhla ne-Afrika liguqise iSundowns ngoama-2/0 sekuhlanganiswe umphumela womdlalo wokuqala nowesibili.
Linqobe ngeli-1/0 kuyona yombili imilenze.
“Ngenza isethembiso kubalandeli beSundowns ukuthi sizoyinqoba iChampions League. Mina ke ngiwumuntu weqiniso. Ngifuna ukuba yingxenye yaleli qembu. Yingakho ngasayina inkontileka yeminyaka emine. Nganginenqwaba yamaqembu ayengishela ngesikhathi ngithatha isinqumo sokusayina neSundowns. Ngathatha isinqumo sokusayina neSundowns ngemuva kokusicubungulisisa kahle isinqumo sami. Inhloso yami wukuba yingxenye yeSundowns. Ngifuna ukwenza kahle usuku nokusuku lapha kuSundowns. IChampions League ngiyafuna ukuyinqoba,” kubeka uMokwena.
ISundowns selokhu yagcina ukunqoba iChampions League ngowezi-2016 ngaphansi kobuholi bukaPitso Mosimane.
“Ibhola ngumdlalo lapho wehlulelwa khona ngemiphumela. Mina angisithathi isinqumo sokuthi yimuphi umqeqeshi ohlalayo nomqeqeshi ohambayo. Iqembu nalo lazi kahle ukuthi uma ngisala ngizozinikela ngokuphindiwe. Indlela engamukele ngayo ukudliwa ngeke ngithi yingoba sengikhulile noma isipiliyoni. Ngizothi nje yingoba sengiyaqonda ukuthi umdlalo webhola umdlalo onesihluku. Ngibe nenqwaba yezikhathi lapho ngihluleke khona empilweni yami. Yingakho ngikwazi ukwamukela impumelelo futhi ngiqonda ukuthi impumelelo ayinaso isiqiniseko,” kuqhuba uMokwena.
Bekungokwesibili amasizini elandelana iSundowns iwashiswa ijezi kowandulela amanqamu eChampions League.
“Ngiyavuma sehlulekile kodwa lokhu wukwehluleka angizimisele ukukwamukela njengoba kunjalo. Into abantu bebhola abayikhohlwa eNingizimu Afrika kodwa abahlale beyikhumbula uma bethanda wukuthi ngineminyaka engamashumi amathathu nesikhombisa nokuthi ngunyaka wami wokuqala ogcwele njengomqeqeshi weSundowns. Phambilini bengiyisekela ngaphinde ngaba ngumqeqeshi ngokubambisana (noManqoba Mngqithi). Ziningi izinto ezinhle engingahlala phansi ngizibheke selokhu ngabuya kuSundowns. Nginqoba iNedbank Cup, MTN8 ne-African Football League,” kulandisa uMokwena.
ISundowns isizogxila ekuqedeleni umkhankaso wayo wokunqoba isicoco seligi neNedbank Cup kulandela ukuphuma kuChampions League.
“Kumele ngizibonakalise usuku nosuku kuSundowns. Angikhathazekile ngomsebenzi wami ngenxa yokusekwa engikuthola kubadlali neziphathimandla zeqembu,” kusho uMokwena.
Umdlalo wamanqamu weChampions League usuzodlalwa ngamaqembu aseNhla ne-Afrika. I-Al Ahly izobhekana ne-Esperance.
“Ngiyafisa ukube ngiyazi ukuthi yikuphi lapho siyilahla khona njengamaqembu aseNingizimu ne-Afrika. Kwesinye isikhathi kuhle ukungabinazo zonke izimpendulo. Sichithe isikhathi esiningi noMichael Loftman sixoxa nabahlaziyi beTottenham Hotspur neLiverpool. Besifuna ukubabuza ukuthi babhekana kanjani namaqembu afana noCrystal Palace abahlala emuva bahlasele sakuzumisa. Mina uma into ngingayazi ngizinika isikhathi sifake umfutho kuyona ukuze ngithole ulwazi olufanele ngayo. Mhlawumbe inhlanhla asinayo. Yilapho engingathi siyilahla khona,” kuchaza uMokwena.
Namuhla iSundowns izodudulana neTS Galaxy ngelesi-7.30 ebusuku eLoftus Versfeld Stadium emdlalweni weligi.
“Ngijabule ukuthi umengameli weqembu usekhulumile neqembu waligqugquzela. Phela ngokomoya iqembu liphansi. Bazinikele ngayo yonke indlela abadlali bami. Bakhe inqwaba yamathuba futhi bebehlasela bephindelela. Ngiqale ngabona ukuthi noma singenzani ngeke kulunge ngesikhathi ibhola lika-Aubrey Modiba lishaya ipali labuya lawela kuLorch (Thembinkosi). Siyaxolisa kubalandeli beSundowns,” kuphetha uMokwena.