By Siphiwo Boqwana.
Iwuphumelele umdlalo wayo wokuqala kwiNdebe yeHlabathi eMelika iMamelodi Sundowns phezolo ngethuba ibetha iqela lebhola ekhatywayo laseSouth Korea iUlsan ngenqaku elinye eqandeni (1-0) kumabala iOrlando eFlorida ngoLwesibini umhla weshumi elinesixhenxe (17) kulenyanga yeSilimela. Lo mdlalo ubudlalwa kuluhlu F.
Kwakuluhlu F, iFluminense ibambene ngobhongwana neBorussia Dortmond ngeqanda macala (0-0).
ISundowns ibiqala ukuphumelela umdlalo kwindebe yomhlaba kuba babethwa yomibini (2) imidlalo ngethuba bethabatha inxaxheba ngonyaka ka2016.
ISundowns liqela lokuqala lebhola ekhatywayo laseAfrika ukuphumelela umdlalo wendebe yehlabathi nebanjelwe eMelika kulonyaka ka2025.
IMamelodi Sundowns ithe ngcu kwindawo yokuqala kuluhlu lamaqela amane kuluhle F ngesizathu sokuba ililo kuphela elifumene omathathu amanqaku kwimpumelelo yayo izolo emva kokudlala ntanganye kweqela laseBrazil iFluminense nelaseJamani iDortmund ngeqanda macala (0-0).
UMiguel Cordoso ongumqeqeshi weSundowns unike oyinkokheli yabadlali uThemba Zwane ithuba lokuqala umdlalo oko ebuye kumonzakalo ngenyanga yoMsintsi kunyaka ophelileyo engasadlali.
URayners ukhe wazama amatyeli amabini ebeka ibhola emnatheni kwathiwa ulalele, naye uTeboho Mokoena ukhe wazama ngethuba ekhaba ibhola ngomohlwayo weliqela laseAsia kodwa unozinti weUlsan wala kwaphela.
Naye uTashreeq Matthews uzamile kodwa unozinti weliqela laseSouth Korea ebeme ngxi kwimpumelelo yabafana boMzantsi. Inqaku eliphumelele ngalo iSundowns lifakwe nguIqraam Rayners kwisiqingatha sokuqala somdlalo. Inqaku likaRayners lize noLucas Ribeiro oncedisileyo.
Kwenzeke umnqa kulomdlalo ngethuba uRonwen Williams esohlwaywa ngusompempe obephethe umdlalo uClement Turpin noye wanika iUlsan ukuba ikhabe ibhola ekoneni.
Lo mthetho wokohlwaywa kukaWilliams mtsha upasiswe ngenyanga yoKwindla kulonyaka ka2025 ngomhla wokuqala upasiswa yiInternational Football Association Board. URonwen uyibambe ixesha elingange mizuzwana elishumi elinesithathu yiyo lonto usompempe enyuse ingalo yakhe ukubonisa ukuba uthathe ixesha elingaphezulu kwemfuneko.
Ibingumzuzu wamashumi asibhozo anesibini (82) ngethuba uWilliams ebamba ibhola yefolosi yeUlsan uLee Huigyun. Lo mthetho ngowe-12.2 kumqulu wemithetho.
