ZAKHELE XABA
O WAYENGUMGADLI wePlatinum Stars, uHareaipha “Simba” Marumo, uthemba ukuthi umfutho ozifikelayo kubadlali uma bezobhekana namaqembu amakhulu uzoba yisikhali esibalulekile ukuqeda ukucanasa kweKaizer Chiefs.
IDikwena isihlulwe yiChiefs kathathu kusukela kuqale isizini ka-2014/2015. Ikhale ngaphansi emilenzeni yomibili ye-semifinal yeMTN8 egcine inqotshwe yiChiefs. Ngaphambi kwalokho iStars ishaywe yiChiefs ngo 2-0 emdlalweni we-Absa Premiership ngo-Agasti 28 enkundleni yayo iRoyal Bafokeng Stadium, eRustenberg.
IStars izophinde igijimisane neChiefs emdlalweni we-quarterfinal weTelkom Knockout eFNB Stadium.
IStars, enqobe iMTN8 neTelkom Knockout ngesizini edlule, isengcupheni yokuphunyukwa yindebe yokugcina. Ngisho umlando uyayiphika ekuvikeleni iTelkom ngoba yiChiefs kuphela esayiwine kabili elandelana emlandweni wayo kusukela ngo-1992.
UMarumo (36) usize iStars inqoba iTelkom, eyishayela amagoli amathathu kowamanqamu, ihlula i-Ajax Cape Town ngo 3-1 ngo-2006.
“Ifomu yangesizini edlule, ayisekho manje. Kuyacaca ukuthi kulokhu kunezinkinga eziningi ezindaweni ezehlukene,” kusho uMarumo owayegijima nakuMamelodi Sundowns.
“Balahlekelwe ngabadlali ababalulekile ngesizini edlule, abangathengwa abazovala izikhala zabo. Kunzima ukubhekana neqembu elilodwa elisefomini njengeChiefs izikhawu zilandelana. Kodwa umfutho wokubhekana nayo ungabasebenzela abadlali. Ubukhulu bomdlalo bungabenza abadlali bawaguqule amatafula. Emdlalweni womkhumulajezi kungenzeka noma yini. Ngesizini edlule akekho obezitshela ukuthi bangawina izindebe ezimbili kodwa kwenzeka.”
IStars ilahlekelwe ngabadlali abafana noSiphelele Mthembu osekuChiefs, Henrico Botes osegijima kuBidvest Wits, Elias Ngwepe noBenson Mhlongo asebeyibambe kuPolokwane City, Lindokuhle Mbatha osekuSundowns, Thabani Mthembu osekuSuperSport United, Issa Sarr osekuPirates nabanye. Isayinise uNdumiso Mabena obekuPirates, Gift Sithole obegijima kuLamontville Golden Arrows, Letladi Madubanya obesemabhukwini eWits nabanye.
Ezinyangeni ezedlule kube nezinkulumo zokuthi ibhantshi lizogcwala umoya kumqeqeshi u-Allan Freese obhinjelwa yizinto kusukela kuqale isizini.
“Ingcindezi izoba kumqeqeshi ngoba akabazi abadlali ukuthi bazowuthatha kanjani umdlalo, ngeke azi ukuthi bacabangani. Abanye ngeke bakwazi ukumelana nengcindezi yokuzokwenzeka ngoba emakhanda kuzobe kusaduma okwenzeke emidlalweni emithathu edlule,” kusho uMarumo.
“Umqeqeshi uzozama ukulungisa amaphutha enzekile emidlalweni edlule kodwa konke kuzoncika kubadlali ukuthi bazitshelani.”
IMIDLALO YETELKOM KNOCKOUT:
Ngo-Okthoba 25:
Bidvest Wits vs SuperSport United (Bidvest Stadium, 3pm); Mamelodi Sundowns v AmaZulu (Loftus Versveld Stadium, 6pm); Orlando Pirates v Ajax Cape Town (Orlando Stadium, 8.15pm)
Ngo-Okthoba 26:
Kaizer Chiefs v Platinum Stars (FNB Stadium, 3pm)