IBafana ‘ihlehlise umngcwabo’ ngokuzibekisela indawo kwi-Afcon
SIHLE NGUBO
IBafana Bafana iyeke ithuba lokuzibekisela indawo kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ka-2025 eseMorocco, kulandela ukubambana neCongo Brazzaville ngo 1-1, eStade Alphonse Massamba Stadium, ngoLwesibili ebusuku.
Kulo mdlalo wokuhlungela i-Afcon iNingizimu Afrika ibidinga ukunqoba bese izibekisele indawo kulo mqhudelwano, kulandela ukuwina kwe-Uganda ngo 2-1 kwiSouth Sudan ngalo Olwesibili.
Nokho kuzoze kucace emidlalweni emibili yokugcina ukuthi iBafana iphelela kuphi. Isazodlala ne-Uganda ekuhambeni bese ibhekane neSouth Sudan ekhaya. Badinga ukunqoba owodwa kuphela kule midlalo.
IBafana iqale yangaxhamazela kulo mdlalo ngoba ibisazama ukuzijwayeza inkundla engenabo utshani bemvelo. Kucacile ukuthi le nkundla ibingabadlalisi kahle abafana bakaHugo Broos.
Nokho ngokuhamba kwesikhathi abadlali beBafana bayijwayelile inkundla baqala ukuphaselana kahle ibhola. Ngomzuzu ka-33 u-Elias Mokwana ushaye igoli leBafana ngemuva kokuthola iphasi enhle ebivela kuThemba Zwane.
Ngomzuzu k-40 uZwane uphume eselimele kwangena uPatrick Maswanganyi endaweni yakhe.
Bese kubukeka sengathi zizoya ekhefini kungu 1-0 ngesikhathi uMons Bassulouamina eshaya igoli lokulinganisa leCongo ngomzuzu ka-45+3.
ICongo ibuye seyivutha ngesiwombe sesibili kucaca ukuthi ukushaya igoli ngaphambi kokuthi kuyiwe ekhefini kuyinike ithemba nokuzethemba.
Ukudlala ngokulingana kulo mdlalo ngeke kumthokozise uBroos uma kubhekwa ukuthi iqembu lakhe libhaxabule iCongo ngo 5-0 eNelson Mandela Bay Stadium, ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule.
Nokho mhlawumbe uzokuqonda ukuthi iqembu lakhe belidlala enkundleni elingayijwayele ekuhambeni. Uzobe esebamba umoya ngokululama kukaZwane noLyle Foster abalimale kule midlalo emibili yokuhlunga.