‘Kubalulekile ukunqoba namuhla’
UFISA ukupholisa izinhliziyo zabalandeli ukaputeni weBafana Bafana, uThulani Hlatshwayo, ngemuva kokuthi yena nozakwabo beshaye udaka bethelwa phansi yiCape Verde ngempelasonto emdlalweni omqoka wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba eseRussia ngonyaka ozayo.
Phezu kokushaya igoli kuqala elize noTokelo Rantie, iBafana igcine liguqile ngo 2-1.
UHlatshwayo nozakwabo banethuba lokuthoba izinhliziyo zabalandeli uma bengakwazi ukwenza umsebenzi namuhla kwiCape Verde eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini ngo-7 ebusuku.
Ngesikhathi iBafana iziqeqesha ngeSonto ntambama kule nkundla enotshani bemvelo, obungafani nebidlalela kuyona ngoLwesihlanu, beyibonakala seyikudlulisile okwenzeke ekuhambeni.
Abadlali bebekhululekile, ngesikhathi umqeqeshi uStuart Baxter, ebafakile ensimini okuthathe ihora nohhafu.
IBafana ibiziqeqesha okokuqala ngemuva kokuhamba amahora awu16 isuka eCape Verde.
“Siyazi ukuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ukuthi sinqobe umdlalo ngoLwesibili (namuhla). Nathi asijabule ngendlela esidlale ngayo futhi siyakuqonda ukuthi kungani abalandeli bengajabule. Sawenza ngendlela amalungiselelo kodwa umphumela sangawuthola,” kusho uHlatshwayo.
Ayikho indlela elula yokujabulisa abalandeli ngaphandle kokuthi iBafana inqobe umdlalo futhi ukushaya imbudlu yamagoli kungenzeka kusize ekugcineni uma sekufanele kuphume iqembu elizoya eRussia kuGroup D.
Amanye amaqembu akuleli qoqo yiSenegal neBurkina Faso abambane ngo 0-0 ngempelasonto.
IBurkina Faso ezobe idlalela ekhaya namuhla iqhwakele ngamaphuzu amahlanu. IBafana neSenegal bayalingana ngamane kuthi Cape Verde ibe namathathu.
“Akukho nzima (ukulungiselela iCape Verde) ngoba sesiyazi ukuthi sidlala nabantu abanjani futhi sibonile ukuthi amagoli aqhamuke ngakuphi. Sineqembu elinabadlali abahle abahlaselayo ngiyethemba ukuthi sizowunqoba umdlalo.” Kulindeleke ukuthi uHlatshwayo abe nophathina omusha emuva kokuthi u-Erick Mathoho ephume ngekhadi elibomvu ngempelasonto. UBaxter kungenzeka akhethe phakathi kukaMorgan Gould noClayton Daniels.
Umgadli weBafana, uBradley Grobler, owangena esiwombeni sesibili emlenzeni wokuqala, uthe: “Siphoxekile ngomphumela wethu kwazise ngemuva komphumela weSenegal sibonile ukuthi silahle ithuba lokuba phambili eqoqweni. NgoLwesibili sinelinye ithuba. Sinabadlali abahle eqenjini esingawina ngabo yonke imidlalo yethu, okuyikhona esesifuna ukukwenza.”