INTATHELI YELANGA
KUVELA ezikhomba ukuthi ungase uphelele ezeni umfutho weNigeria esha amashushu, ifuna ukuba iBafana Bafana iphucwe amaphuzu amathathu ngokudlalisa uTeboho Mokoena (osesithombeni) kungafanele, ngesikhathi elaseNingizimu Afrika liguqisa iLesotho ngo-2-0, ngoNdasa (March) wanonyaka, kowokuhlungela ukuya kwiNdebe yoMhlaba yeFifa.
IBafana yadlalisa uMokoena yize esenamakhadi amabili aphuzi, ayephoqa ukuba angawugijimi umdlalo weLesotho.
Ngokubika kweSunday World, umthombo ongaphakathi kwiSafa – okuyiyona eyashaya udaka ngokuboshelwa kukaMokoena – kawekho amaphuzu azodliwa kwiBafana ephinde iLesotho ngesibhaxu, iyitaxa ngo-3-0 emlenzeni wesibili wale midlalo yokulwela ithikithi lokuya kweyomhlaba ezogijinyelwa e-USA, eCanada naseMexico ngonyaka ozayo.
Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi lo mdlalo ugijinywe iLesotho ifunga igomela ithi uma uMokoena eke waboshelwa esikimini, izofaka icala. Ibizeseka ngokuthi ukungawugijimi umdlalo weBafana ibhekene neBenin, ngawo uNdasa – emuva kokugijima owokuqala neLesotho – akusicishi isigwebo, kwazise kwakufanele ajeze emdlalweni wayo (iLesotho).
ILesotho isifuna iBafana yemukwe amaphuzu nje, yazigwaza ngowayo ifaka isimangalo sekwedlule amahora awu-24 – abekelwe ukufaka izikhalo – ngoba nakhu ‘isihlalwe entanyeni’ yiNigeria ukuba isifake. Ukungadliwa kwamaphuzu eBafana kuyiva ngisho ezinhliziyweni zabalandeli bayo iNigeria, njengoba bephithizela ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, bebuza ukuthi kanti iFifa inquma nini ngalolu daba. Okudala leli xhala wukuthi iBafana – eyizitha ezinkulu zeNigeria kunobhutshuzwayo wase-Afrika – isesicongweni sika-group C wale midlalo, kanti iSuper Eagles yaseNigeria, isendaweni yesine. Isele ngamaphuzu awu-6 kwiBafana.
Ngokomthombo, iFifa ichiza ukuthatha isinqumo kulolu daba nje, yingoba lesi sikhalo seLesotho yavele yasithatha njengento engekho – kwazise safakwa sekwedlule isikhathi.
“Isimangalo esifakwe emuva kwesikhathi siyaye sithathwe njengento engekho. Ukuba iLesotho yasifaka kusenesikhathi, iFifa ibizosisukumela, ithathe isinqumo kulolu daba. Isikhalo siye sifakwe ngaphambi komdlalo, noma emuva kwamahora awu-24 kuphele umdlalo,” kusho umthombo.
Sekuwumlando ukuthi uNobhala-jikelele weLesotho Football Association, uMokhosi Mohapi, usabise ngokuthi uma iBafana ibophela uMokoena emdlalweni wangoLwesihlanu, isengcupheni yokwemukwa amaphuzu, kwazise bazofaka icala. Lezo zinsongo kazimethusanga umqeqeshi weBafana, uHugo Broos, okuthe uma ebuzwa ngazo, wathi: “Kangivamile ukuphawula ngembudane, ngeke-ke futhi ngiqale namhlanje.”
IBafana izobhekana neSuper Eagles emlenzeni wesibili kowokuhlungela indebe yomhlaba, kusasa. Iya kulo mdlalo nje, lithe ukwehla ixhala kubathandi bakanobhutshuzwayo waseNingizimu Afika njengoba isethenjwa sezitha, uVictor Osimhen siphume silimele ngesikhathi zibhekene neRwanda ngoMgqibelo, okwenze sangaba yingxenye yeqembu elizobhekana nelakuleli.
