Sphiwe Masilela
Ngemuva kokukhishwa kule ndebe enemali eningi yezwekazi i-CAF, iMamelodi Sundowns isengcupheni yokuqopha umlando kumqhudelwano wasekhaya.
ISundowns iphume kwi-CAF Champions League ngezembe le-3-1 sekuhlanganiswe imilebe ngenxa ye-Al Ahly, engaphansi kolawulo lukaPitso Mosimane – owayengumqeqeshi wayo.
Isabelo esilandelayo sompetha be-Premier Soccer League (i-PSL) sizobhekana nezimbangi – iSupersport United – emdlalweni wederby ozobe use-Tshwane ngoLwesithathu ebusuku.
Ukunqoba kwabo kuzobenza bathathe igxathu elikhulu lokuba yikilabhu lokuqala ukunqoba isicoco seligi iminyaka emine ilandelana – futhi bandise irekhodi labo lempumelelo yobumpetha, bedlule iKaizer Chiefs ne-Orlando Pirates kulokhu.
ISundowns, enqobe kowezi-2018, kowezi-2019 nangowezi-2020, manje seyibekelwe ukuthi ibe yiqembu eliziphinda kane okokuqala ngqa.
Kuzothatha nesibalo sabo semikhumulajezi yeligi sibe yi-14, kabili ukwedlula iChiefs, okuyirekhodi labo abalisebenzisile kumasizini adlule, kanye neminye emihlanu kunePirates.
Ku-log, bamaphuzu angama-57 emidlalweni engama-26, ukunqoba kweSundowns idlala ne-United kungasho ukuthi Amazulu asendaweni yesibili awakwazi ukuthola amaphuzu angama-60 noma enganqoba yonke imidlalo yayo emithathu esele.
Ayikho ikilabhu esinqobe imikhankaso emine yeligi ilandelana, kepha iSundowns isondele ngokwakha umlando omusha womdlalo wasekhaya, ngemuva kokwelula ukuhola kwabo esicongweni ngamaphuzu ayisikhombisa emdlalweni wabo wokugcina bedlala neTS Galaxy.
Ngowezi-1976, iPirates yaba yikilabhu lokuqala ukuvikela isicoco sayo ngempumelelo, ngaleyo ndlela yenza kwaba kabili kulandelana.
Kwakuwumdlalo iDurban City eyawuphinda ngowe-1982 nangowe-1983 ngenkathi iChiefs iwuthola phakathi kowe-1991 nowe-1992.
ISundowns yaba yikilabhu lokuqala ukuthatha izicoco ezintathu zeligi zilandelana ngowezi-2000, iSupersport United yona yayithatha eminyakeni eyishumi kamuva.
IChiefs yawina isicoco sayo sokuqala seligi kweziyi-12 zeligi ngowe-1974 kwathi iPirates yaqala ukunqoba i-National Professional Soccer League (i-NPSL) ngowe-1971. ISundowns yaqala ukubanga isicoco sayo sokuqala ngowe-1988.