Ithemba lokudlulela phambili koweNigeria
USEBHEKE umdlalo olandelayo kaGroup D umqeqeshi weqembu lesizwe leNigeria, uGernot Rohr ngemuva kokuthi ezakhe zikhale ngaphansi kwiCroatia ngo 2-0 emdlalweni wazo wokuvula kwiNdebe yoMhlaba eseRussia.
Ukaputeni weCroatia, uLuka Modric, ushaye iphenathi ebe yisipikili sokugcina ngesiwombe sesibili kulo mdlalo obungeSonto ebusuku. Igoli lokuqala kube umkhonto ogwaze ekhaya ka-Oghenekaro Etebo kade uModric eshaye ikhona esiwombeni sokuqala.
Lona bekuwumdlalo wesibili kaGroup D njengoba kowokuqala kutholene i-Argentina ne-Iceland ababambane ngo 1-1. Le miphumela ibeke amaSuper Eagles emsileni kanti iCroatia iqhwakele.
Umdlalo olandelayo wamaSuper Eagles ungoLwesihlanu eVolgograd Arena ngo-5 ntambama lapho ezotholana phezulu ne-Iceland emvalele ekopini kwakuncane indawo uLionel Messi we-Argentina.
“Akekho umuntu othanda ukuhlulwa kodwa siyakuqonda ukuthi iCroatia ibiyiqembu elingcono kunathi. Abadlali bami abasebancane benze amaphutha. Igoli lokuqala liqhamuke ngekhona kwathi elesibili kwaba yiphenathi. Ngicabanga ukuthi la badlali basebancane basadinga ukufunda, kwesinye isikhathi bakhombise ubudedengu ikakhulukazi uma kushaywa amakhona nama-free kick. Kuzomele sikulungise lokho,” kusho uRohr.
Mayelana nokubhekana ne-Iceland okuyizwe elinabantu abangaphezulu kuka-300 000, uthe: “Kumele samukele lokhu kuhlulwa kodwa kumele siwine kwi-Iceland. Uma sinqoba umdlalo wethu olandelayo kungenzeka noma yini ukuze sidlulele phambili (kwiLast 16). Ngigculisekile ngendlela esizihlele ngayo emuva kodwa asizange sakhe amathuba amaningi okushaya amagoli. Kudingeka okungenani amaphuzu amane ukuze udlulele phambili. Konke kusezandleni zethu uma nje sizoqhubeka nokukholelwa ekutheni singakwenza lokho.”
Inkakha yaseNigeria uJayJay Okocha, obehlaziya umdlalo kwiSuperSport, izwakalise ukungagculiseki ngezinqumo zikaRohr.
“Umqeqeshi akazange ayisebenzele imali yakhe namuhla. Abaqeqeshi bakhona ukuze benze izinqumo, yena uthathe izinqumo okungezona ikakhulukazi kusengu 1-0,” kusho u-Okocha.
Imiphumela yamanye amazwe ase-Afrika:
I-Egypt eboshelwe kuGroup A ihlulwe yi-Uruguay ngo 1-0. Isizobhekana neRussia kusasa eSt Petersburg ngo-8 ebusuku okuwumdlalo okumele iwunqobe nakanjani ukuzibeka ethubeni le-Last 16.
IMorocco izigwaze ngowayo ngegoli lika-Aziz Bouhaddouz alishaye bebhekene ne-Iran emdlalweni wokuqala kaGroup B. NgoLwesithathu izoshukana nePortugal eLuzhniki ngo-2 ntambama. Nayo kumele inqobe ukuze ingazitholi isheshe igoduka.
Namuhla amehlo e-Afrika azothi njo kwiTunisia eqhuthana ne-England kuGroup G eVolgograd ngo-8 ebusuku. Sekukuyona ukuthi iqede umgqigqo omubi wamazwe ase-Afrika avule ngenduku.
Kusasa iSenegal eyagcina ukudlala kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ngo2002 iphuma kuma-quarterfinal, izolwela amaphuzu amathathu ibhekene nePoland emdlalweni ka-Group H oqala ngo-5 ntambama e-Otkrytie Arena.