Lubhalwe nguMichael Madyira
Ngemuva kwekhefu lamasonto ayisikhombisa lokulungiselela umqhudelwano we-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), imidlalo ye-Premier Soccer League izoqala ngempelasonto.
Umdlalo ophelele usemakhadini njengoba kuzoqala iSuperSport United esendaweni yesithathu lapho izokwamukela khona iStellenbosch esendaweni yesine ngoLwesihlanu.
Kodwa umdlalo wangoMgqibelo phakathi kwabaholi be-log iMamelodi Sundowns ne-Orlando Pirates enkundleni yezemidlalo i-Loftus Versfeld yiwona ozobe uhamba phambili ngempelasonto.
ISundowns ehamba phambili ngamaphuzu ayisishiyagalolunye phezulu etafuleni ngemidlalo emibili izobhekana nePirates esendaweni yesihlanu ngamaphuzu angu-13 ngemuva kwayo.
Abadlali abangu-11 beSundowns abebeku-Afcon sebebuyile kodwa kusazobonakala ukuthi bazophumula noma bazofakwa enkundleni umqeqeshi uRhulani Mokwena.
UMokwena angase adedele uThembinkosi Lorch osayine ngoMasingana ukuze abhekane nababemkhokhela kanti lona kungenzeka ukuthi kube umdlalo unomunyu kulo mdlali ohlaselayo.
“Iqembu lingamukele kahle,” kusho uLorch kwabezindaba ngoLwesine. “Umoya eqenjini muhle kakhulu. Wonke umuntu ufuna ukudlala ngempelasonto ngoba sidlala nePirates okuyiqembu elikhulu futhi nomdlalo mkhulu.
“Ngakho yebo, umqeqeshi uzonquma ukuthi ubani odlalayo. “Kunzima ukudlala umdlalo wami wokuqala ikakhulukazi ngibhekene neqembu lami lakudala.
“Kodwa empilweni kumele siqhubekele phambili. Ngiyethemba ukuthi ngizoqala ngempelasonto ngenze konke okusemandleni ami eqenjini.”
IPirates iphinde yamukela abadlali abayisithupha abebekuBafana Bafana ku-Afcon okukhona kubo uNkosinathi Sibisi, uThabang Monare, uZakhele Lepasa kanye no-Evidence Makgopa.
NgoMgqibelo, iCape Town City esendaweni yesibili izovakashela e-Gqeberha lapho ezotholana phezulu neChippa United bese kuthi iCape Town Spurs enukelwa ukugawulwa izembe ivakashele AmaZulu.
IMoroka Swallows, exoshe abadlali abangaphezulu kuka-20 izodudulana nePolokwane City e-Soweto bese iSekhukhune United sidudulana neRichards Bay njengoba womabili amaqembu ezama ukuvika izembe.
Ngaphambi kwekhefu le-Afcon, iKaizer Chiefs ijabulele imvuselelo encane futhi ingathanda ukuqhubeka ngaleyo ndlela ohambweni lwangeSonto olubheke eRoyal AM.
Ngosuku olufanayo, iTS Galaxy izokwamukela iGolden Arrows enkundleni yezemidlalo iMbombela.
Esithombeni esingenhla: Unozinti weMamelodi Sundowns uRonwen Williams ethatha ibhola phambi komdlali wasemuva we-Orlando Pirates uTapelo Xoki
Umthombo wesithombe: Orlando Pirates