LIPHELE nya iphupho lokubhekana neReal Madrid, yaseSpain, kuMamelodi Sundowns ngesikhathi ithelwa othulini yiKashima Antlers yaseJapan ku-quarterfinal yeFifa Club World Cup, eJapan, izolo.
Iningi labadlali beSundowns belingakufihli ukuthi lilangazelele ukubhekana neMadrid kowamanqamu walo mqhudelwano oqale ngoLwesine eJapan.
Nokho ezikaPitso Mosimane bekufanele zibhekane ne-Antlers kuqala emdlalweni we-quarterfinal ngaphambi kokucabanga indaba yeMadrid engompetha base-Europe. AmaBrazillians adlala kulo mqhudelwano ohlonishwayo emhlabeni ngoba angompetha beCaf Champions League ka-2016.
Amagoli eshaywe ngawo iSundowns abekwe enethini nguYasushi Endo ngomzuzu ka-63, kwathi eliqede wonke amathemba labaselwa phakathi uKazanaki ngomzuzu ka-88.
ISundowns kufanele izisole yona ngokuthi ayitholanga negoli lokubika kulo mdlalo ngoba ithole inqwaba yamathuba ngesiwombe sokuqala. Abadlali abathole amathuba okubeka amaBrazillians phambili uKeagan Dolly, Khama Billiat noHlompho Kekana kodwa kwavuka isifo esihlasele amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika sokugeja oqekelele bamagoli.
Ziye ekhefini kungu 0-0 kodwa iSundowns ibisibuze kawu-11 kunozinti we-Antlers oke waphebeza amabhola amabi. Ngaleso sikhathi i-Antlers ibingakaze ifike kubatshazwe emapalini eSundowns.
Ngesiwombe sesibili i-Antlers ibuye isishintshe kakhulu, igeleza ifuna ukushaya igoli ngenkani. Ibihlanganisa amahle amaphasi abeshiya izitobha zeSundowns zishayisana kucace ukuthi izobhakuza noma yinini inethi.
Ngomzuzu ka-60 uWayne Arendse ukhiphe ibhola ngekhanda sekuvalwe amehlo esesele unozinti, uDenis Onyango. Nokho unozinti uphinde wahuqa ubuthongo ngomzuzu ka-63 ededela igoli elilula ebelishaywe ngu-Endo.
Ngemuva kwegoli uMosimane wenze ushintsho ngokushesha ekhipha uLeonardo Castro efaka uSiyanda Zwane. Uphinde wakhipha uThapelo Morena indawo yakhe ethathwe ngu-Anthony Laffor ngomzuzu ka-71. Ngaleso sikhathi i-Antlers ibigeleza kucaca ukuthi ibisizifunde kahle izivakashi ukuthi zidlala kanjani.
Ukungena kukaSibusiso Vilakazi endaweni kaKhama Billiat ngomzuzu ka-79 akuzanga namehluko otheni ngoba i-Antlers ibisidlala kangcono kuneSundowns. Igoli eliqede ngeSundowns lingene ngomzuzu ka-88 kwacaca ukuthi kuncane obekusazokwenziwa yiqembu lasePitoli ukuwina umdlalo. Udonga lwezikaMosimane belubukeka lukahlakazeke kakhulu ngaleso sikhathi.
ISundowns isizodlalela indawo yesihlanu neyesithupha lapho izobhekana khona neJeonbuk Hyundai yaseKorea kusasa ngo-9.30 ekuseni ngokwesikhathi sakuleli.
UMosimane ukhale kakhulu ngokulahla kwabo amathuba.
“Abafana bami badlale kahle kakhulu, sidlale neqembu elihle namuhla. Nokho kucacile ukuthi asiwasebenzisanga amathuba esiwatholile ngesiwombe sokuqala. Yilapho siwulahle khona umdlalo. Bona bathole amathuba bawasebenzisa – awethu asizange siwasebenzise ngendlela,” kusho uMosimane ngemuva komdlalo.