UBaxter uthi kabesabi qembu kwi-Afcon
MFANAFUTHI NDLOVU
UMISE isibindi abathandi bakanobhutshuzwayo baseNingizimu Afrika uStuart Baxter ongumqe-qeshi weBafana Bafana ngesikha-thi elibeka ngesihloko elokuthi kalikho iqembu abalesabayo kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) eqhubeka e-Egypt.
IBafana izovula lo mqhudelwa-no ngokubhekana ne-Ivory Coast kokaGroup D namuhla ngo-Msombuluko ngo-16h30 e-Al Salam Stadium. Ekhuluma nabezindaba uBaxter ngaphambi kwalo mdlalo obhekwe ngabomvu kuleli, uthe okuhle ngomdlalo we-bhola wukuthi ngeke uwuqagule umphumela wawo ungakagiji-nywa.
“Kalikho izwe esilesabayo kulo mqhudelwano, siwulungele. Kaku-mele sahlulelwe ngokuthi kasizona izimfivilithi ukunqoba lo mqhu-delwano. Siyazethemba ukuthi si-ngakwazi ukumelana nanoma nga-be yiliphi izwe esihlangana nalo kulo mqhudelwano. Okusiqinisa nakakhulu idolo wukuthi sizicije ngamaqembu anzima silungiselela le midlalo. Ngijatshuliswa nawukuthi akekho umdlali olimele,” kusho uBaxter.
Uncome abadlali ngokusebenza ngokuzikhandla ejimini. Nokho uthi kabasagxilile kakhulu eku-lweleni ukuba qatha kodwa sebe-tadisha izitha. Ugcizelele nokuthi bazoqikelela ukuthi abadlali ba-dla ukudla okuzovumelana nesimo sezulu sase-Egypt esishisa ngoku-xakile.
UThulani “Tyson” Hlatshwayo ongukaputeni weBafana, uhambe emazwini kaBaxter ethi sebekulungele ukubhekana ne-Ivory Coast.
“Umqeqeshi usicije kakhulu ukuqikelela ukuthi kasivuzisi ama-goli emuva. Sizethemba kakhulu. Bonke abadlali bamagange ngokufika kwesikhathi salo mdlalo,” kusho uHlatshwayo.
UKamohelo Mokotjo odlala esiswini kulesi sikwati, uthe wukudlala ngokuzinikela, besebenzisa nesivinini esikhulu akholwa wukuthi kuzobasiza ukuguqisa izitha ngamadolo kulo mdlalo. Uthi nakuba i-Ivory Coast ibophele ulozolo lwabadlali kodwa baneqholo lokuthi bazoyehlula ngokudlala ingcwenga yebhola.
Imiphumela yemidlalo yeBafana ne-Ivory Coast imi kanje:
1994: Bafana 0, Ivory Coast 0 (owobungani)
1998: Ivory Coast 1, Bafana 1 (Afcon)
2002: Ivory Coast 0, Bafana 0 (kowokuhlunga we-Afcon)
2003: Bafana 2, Ivory Coast 1 (kowokuhlunga we-Afcon)
2011: Bafana 1, Ivory Coast 1 (kowobungani)
2014: Bafana 2, Ivory Coast 0 (kowobungani)
