Ngabe iBafana izokwazi ukukhwela oweSouth Sudan emagcekeni ayo?
SIHLE NGUBO
IBafana Bafana ibukeka izokhwela umqansa njengoba izobhekana neSouth Sudan emdlalweni wokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) eJuba Stadium ngoLwesibili, ngo-3 ntambama.
Okuzokwenza izinto zikhuphukele eqenjini likaHugo Broos ukuthi lilahle amaphuzu ngesikhathi libhekene ne-Uganda emdlalweni wokuqala e-Orlando Stadium ngoLwesihlanu. Izenzele phansi nokho iBafana ngokuyeka inqwaba yamathuba ngesiwombe sokuqala somdlalo.
Ngesesibili izinto zivele zashintsha ngokushesha i-Uganda yazithola isihamba phambili ngo 2-1. Umdlalo ugcine uphele ngo 2-2 nokuchaza ukuthi iqembu lesizwe lakuleli lilahle amaphuzu amabili abalulekile.
Okunye okuzovivinya iBafana eJuba Stadium, ukuthi inkundla okuzodlalelwa kuyona ayinabo utshani bemvelo (artificial turf). EzikaBroos sezike zabuya zishwiba izandla kade zibhekene neRwanda enkundleni engenabo utshani bemvelo emdlalweni wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba. Kulo mdlalo iBafana yashaywa ngo 2-0.
Isimo sezulu saseSouth Sudan naso sihluke kakhulu njengoba amazinga okushisa enyuka ngendlela abangayijwayele abadlali baseNingizimu Afrika. Nakho lokhu kungase kube nomthelela ongemuhle ekutheni iqembu lakuleli likwazi ukuthola amaphuzu aphelele kulo mdlalo.
UBroos unesinqumo esibalulekile okumele asithathe mayelana nokuthi yimuphi unozinti ozoqala umdlalo. UVeli Mothwa, waMaZulu FC, wenze inkunzimalanga yephutha ededela ibhola elilula iBafana idlala ngokulingana ne-Uganda. Lokhu kwenze abalandeli bebhola abaningi baseNingizimu Afrika babona kungcono kunikwe uSipho Chaine we-Orlando Pirates ithuba.
Ngaphandle kwasepalini kuzobhekwa ukuthi kukhona yini lapho engashintsha khona uBroos, ikakhulukazi kubadlali abahlaselayo. Mhlawumbe bekungakuhle ukuthi anike uRelebohile Mofokeng ithuba lokuqala umdlalo. Ungene kwavuleka izikhala ngesikhathi iBafana ibhekene ne-Uganda.