IBanyana nephupho leyoMhlaba
AMAPHUZU amathathu emdlalweni wanamuhla kwi-Women Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON) azokwenza iBanyana Banyana ikwazi ukulala ubuthongo ngaphambi komdlalo wokugcina wamaqoqo.
Lokhu kushiwo umqeqeshi uDesiree Ellis ngaphambi kokubhekana ne-Equatorial Guinea ngo-8.30 ebusuku eCape Coast Stadium.
IBanyana ihleli endaweni yesibili kuGroup B ngamaphuzu amathathu ngemuva kokwehlula iNigeria ngo 1-0 emdlalweni wokuvula. Iqoqo liholwa yiZambia ebhudluze i-Equatorial Guinea ngo 5-0. Amaqembu amabili azoqeda ephezulu eqoqweni azodlulela kweyandulela owamanqamu. Uma iBanyana idlula kuzosho ukusondela ephusheni lokuya okokuqala emlandweni kwiNdebe yoMhlaba eseFrance ngonyaka ozayo. Amazwe amathathu azoqeda phezulu yiwona azomela i-Afrika kulo mqhudelwano.
“Sinephupho nenjongo. Injongo yethu wukuya kwiNdebe yoMhlaba. Kuhlezi kunzima ukubhekana neqembu elibuya endukwini ngoba lizoza kithina lilwa. Kodwa-ke eqenjini sinabadlali abanesipiliyoni futhi abaziyo ukuthi leli yithuba lokugcina (kubona) ukuya kweyoMhlaba. Kumele siwulungele umdlalo ngoba sizobe sidlala nabantu abayingozi. Kumele siqinisekise ukuthi siyawathola amaphuzu amathathu. Angifuni kufike umdlalo wokugcina simincile. Kusemqoka ukuthi konke sikubeke ezandleni zethu,” kusho u-Ellis.
Emdlalweni wokugcina wamaqoqo iBanyana izotholana neZambia ngoMgqibelo. I-Equatorial Guinea yahlula elakuleli kabili emqhudelwaneni wango-2012, okuhlanganisa nomdlalo wamanqamu. Ingene ngemizuzu yokugcina kwi-AWCON yalo nyaka ithatha indawo yeKenya. Ibuyiselwe isigungu sokubuyekezwa kwezinqumo seCaf ngemuva kokuthi kade itholwe inecala lokudlalisa umdlali ongafanele u-Annette Jacky Messomo. Uma kwenzeka i-Equatorial Guinea igcina ibalwa emaqenjini amathathu okumele aye eFrance ngonyaka ozayo ngeke ikwazi njengoba inhlangano eyengamele ibhola emhlabeni iFifa, iyidingisile nyakenye ukudlala kweyoMhlaba ngenxa yokubophela abadlali okwatholakala ukuthi bakokotele ubuzwe ngesikhathi kuhlungelwa ama-Olympic ango2016 eBrazil. Leli lizwe lidingisiwe nasekudlalweni kuma-Olympic ango-2020 eTokyo.