Isifiso sikaBuckley ngomdlalo weBafana
ABADLALI beBafana Bafana kumele bangene enkundleni beyobhekana neCape Verde bezitshela ukuthi baphethe amathemba okubuyisa ukuziqhenya ngeqembu lesizwe uma bengakwazi ukuzifaka kwiNdebe yoMhlaba eseRussia ngonyaka ozayo.
Elakuleli lizodudulana neCape Verde namuhla ePraia National Stadium emdlalweni womlenze wokuqala kweyokuhlungela lo mqhudelwano okwagcina ngo-2002 ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ingene kuwona ngezithukuthuku zayo. Umdlalo uzoqala ngo-8.30 ebusuku.
Owomlenze wesibili ungoLwesibili eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini ngo-7 ebusuku.
Ukuthola amaphuzu agcwele kule midlalo kungakhuphula iBafana kuyibeke eqhulwini kuGroup D, inqobo uma iSenegal izobamba iBurkina Faso bona abadlala kusasa nangoLwesibili.
UDelron Buckley osewawagaxa emgibeni amakhokho ngomunye wabadlali ababekhona ngesikhathi iBafana ibhekene neCape Verde ngaphansi kobuholi bukaStuart Baxter kuhlungelwa ukuya kweyoMhlaba eGermany ngo-2006.
Leli nxele lashaya igoli ngesikhathi iBafana iguqisa iCape Verde ngo 2-1 emlenzeni wasekuhambeni.
“Kuyiphupho lanoma yimuphi umdlali ukuya kwiNdebe yoMhlaba. Ngiyethemba futhi ngithandazela ukuthi sikwazi ukuzibekisela indawo. Ayikho into eyongenza ngizigqaje ngokuba owaseNingizimu Afrika njengaleyo. Lokho kukodwa kuzokhulisa intshisekelo yokudlalela iqembu lesizwe kubadlali abasakhula ngoba bazobona ukuthi siyizwe elikwaziyo ukufinyelela kwiNdebe yoMhlaba,” kusho uBuckley.
Ngesikhathi iBafana itheleka eCape Verde, u-Andile Jali ukhale ngokushisa.
“Yebo khona umoya wakhona uyashisa kodwa ngikholwa wukuthi kuzofika umdlalo sebewujwayele. Okuhle wukuthi kuzobe kudlalelwa enkundleni yotshani bokwakhiwa. Lokhu kuzovuna indlela yethu yokudlala ibhola elihamba phansi ngoba inkundla izobe ingenawo amagquma,” kuqhuba uBuckley, owayeyibambe noQuinton Furtune, Benni McCarthy noS’busiso Zuma esikwatini.
Yize ekholwa wukuthi iBafana inalo ithuba lokudlula kwiCape Verde, ukubalulile ubumqoka bokungaleyi leli qembu elikleliswe endaweni ka-30 e-Afrika. Emdlalweni wokugcina la maqembu ehlangene kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ngo-2013, umdlalo waphela ngo 0-0. Kweyokuhlunga iCape Verde isihlulwe iBurkina Faso neSenegal. IBafana ibambane ngo 1-1 neBurkina Faso yahlula iSenegal ngo 2-1.
Umdlali weBafana uKamohelo Mokotjo oyibamba esiswini ucashunwe ekhasini lika-twitter leSafa, ethi: “Kumele sidlale kahle, sikwazi ukuthola umphumela kwazise injongo enkulu wukuya eRussia kwiNdebe yoMhlaba. Ngakho ayikho into emqoka njengokuphumelela.”
Amaqembu amahlanu azoqeda eqhwakele eqoqweni ngalinye azomela i-Afrika eRussia. INingizimu Afrika igcine ukubonakala kulo mqhudelwano ngo-2010 ingosokhaya. Ihluleke yancama ukuya eBrazil ngo-2014.