Riaan 
KUNGENZEKA i-Orlando Pirates ivale igebe phakathi kwayo neSuperSport United embangweni wokuqeda endaweni yesibili kuDStv Premiership, kodwa umqeqeshi uJose Riveiro uyazi ukuthi i-United izoqhubeka nokulwa.
IPirates, esendaweni yesithathu esicongweni seligi, ihlule iSuperSport esendaweni yesibili ngo 1-0 emdlalweni weligi obuse-Orlando Stadium ngoMgqibelo.
FUNDA FUTHI: IBarcelona ihlwitha iClasico inqoba iMadrid ukuze ishaye isicoco
AmaBhakabhaka athole igoli elilodwa kulo mdlalo ngephenathi kaTapelo Xoki esiwombeni sesibili, nokusiza AmaBhakabhaka afinyelele amaphuzu angu-37 ngemuva kwemidlalo engu-23, kwathi iSuperSport yona inamaphuzu angu-39. U-Riveiro ukholelwa ukuthi ukuwina kwePirates kuzoyikhuthaza indlela eya phambili, kodwa uyazi ukuthi akhona amanye amaqembu afana nalawa. Kaizer Chiefs neCape Town City nayo ezama ukuqeda umkhankaso weligi njengabaphume isibili.
“Ukuzethemba nokwethemba (indlela iqembu elidlala ngayo) kuzoba kuhle kodwa sisenamaphuzu angu-21 okumele siwadlalele futhi ngingakuqinisekisa ukuthi iSuperSport United izolwa kuze kube sekugcineni,” kusho uRiveiro.
“Lawo maqembu aqhamuka ngemuva kwethu azothola amathuba futhi ngilindele ukuthi imidlalo emithathu yokugcina yesizini izojabulisa kakhulu.”
Njengoba amaqembu asezoya ekhefini leFifa, uRiveiro uthi kumqoka ukugcina ezakhe zisesimweni yize abanye abadlali bakhe abamqoka – Monnapule Saleng, Innocent Maela noNkosinathi Sibisi – bebizelwe eqenjini leBafana Bafana elizobhekana neLiberia imidlalo emibili yokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations.
FUNDA FUTHI: Umdlali wasemuva wePirates uSibisi ubelindele umdlalo ‘onzima’ neSuperSport
“Kumele [train during the break] ngaphandle kwabadlali bethu bamazwe ngamazwe abasemaqenjini abo esizwe; siyaziqhenya ngokuthumela labo badlali emaqenjini esizwe. Sizozama ukugcina abadlali besesimweni esihle futhi kube nomqhudelwano wethu wangaphakathi ekupheleni kwesonto lapho singadlaleli khona amaphuzu, kodwa ukugcina abadlali belambile,” engeza.
Ngemuva kwekhefu, iPirates izobhekana neRichards Bay koweligi ekuhambeni ngo-Ephreli 1 ukuze iqhubeke nokulwela indawo yesibili.
