Owanamuhla kungaba obalulekile emlandweni kuBafana
Enkundleni efanayo ngoLwezi nyakenye iBafana iyehlulile iSenegal ngabe yini ezovimba kulokhu?
UMDLALO wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ozoba phakathi kweBafana Bafana neSenegal namuhla ungeminye ebalulekile selokhu elesizwe labuyela emidlalweni yoMhlaba ngowe-1992 ngemuva kokudonsa kanzima ngaphansi kukaHulumeni wobandlululo. Lo mdlalo ozobanjelwa ePeter Mokaba Stadium, ePolokwane, libumbene ihora lesikhombisa kusihlwa, ubonakala uza nengcindezi enkulu kumqeqeshi uStuart Baxter, nasenhlanganweni kanobhutshuzwayo iSouth African Football Association (SAFA) kanye nabadlali okuyibona okulindeleke ukuba bafele enkundleni kule midlalo emibili neSenegal.
Phakathi kwemidlalo iBafana Bafana esike yayidlala engeke yakhohlakala kubathandi bebhola, singabala owamanqamu ku-Africa Cup of Nations ngowe-1996 lapho yayibhekene khona neTunisia yayishaya ngamagoli ama-2 eqandeni. Kwaba yilapho iBafana izifaka emabhukwini omlando inqoba okokuqala lo mqhudelwano ngaphansi kukaClive Barker. Omunye umdlalo ongasoze wakhohlakala iloyo elakuleli elalibhekene kuwona neRepublic of Congo ngowe-1997 nalapho sabona khona uPhilemon “Chippa” Masinga eshaya igoli elaweza elakuleli laya kuNdebe yoMhlaba okokuqala eFrance ngowe-1998.
Ngeke lakhohlakala negoli likaSiyabonga “Bhele” Nomvethe alivalela phakathi emdlalweni weNdebe yoMhlaba yangowezi-2002, ngesikhathi iBafana ibhekene neSlovenia eKorea naseJapan. Leli goli lenza iBafana Bafana yanqoba umdlalo wayo wokuqala weNdebe yoMhlaba ngegoli elilodwa eqandeni. Kungaba yiphutha ukushiya ngaphandle igoli likaSiphiwe Tshabalala alivalela phakathi emdlalweni wokuqala ngqa weNdebe yoMhlaba ezwenikazi i-Afrika alishaya eFNB Stadium, iBafana ibhekene neMexico ngowezi-2010.
Umdlalo wanamuhla weBafana Bafana namaLions of Teranga ungeminye ethi ayifane ncamashi ngokubaluleka ngenxa yomlando ongase uqopheke. Lo mdlalo empeleni uyimpinda njengoba ngoLwezi nyakenye la maqembu atholana phezulu esigabeni esifanayo nalapho iBafana Bafana eyayicijwa u-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba yanqoba khona ngamagoli ama-2 kweli-1, khona ePeter Mokaba Stadium.
Inhlangano eyengamele ibhola eSenegal yafaka isicelo sokuba umdlalo uphindwe isola unondweba waseGhana uJoseph Lamptey ukuthi wenzelela iBafana Bafana kulo mdlalo. IFIFA yanquma ukuba umdlalo uphindwe izinsuku ziyi-10 kuLwezi nonyaka, kwathi uLamptey yamyalela ukuba angaphinde adlalise umdlalo ongaphansi kweFIFA impilo yakhe yonke. IBafana Bafana idinga ukunqoba yomibili imidlalo yayo neSenegal, ngaleyo ndlela izibekele indawo eRussia. ISenegal idinga ukudlala ngokulingana kowodwa yale midlalo emibili iwele ngelibanzi ibhekise amabombo kwelikagologo omhlophe.
EzikaBaxter zinamaphuzu amane emidlalweni emine eqoqweni D. Ukunqoba kabili kungayibeka emaphuzwini ayi-10. ISenegal inamaphuzu ayisi-8 emdlalweni emine, okusho ukuthi uma idlala ngokulingana neBafana Bafana iya eRussia. Okwenza iBurkina Faso neCape Verde babonakale sengathi sekuyababhedela ukuthi banamaphuzu ayisi-6 emidlalweni emihlanu, okuhumusheka ngokuthi bazophelela emaphuzwini ayisi-9, kanti namagoli ayabaphika.
Abadlali osekuqinisekisiwe ukuthi ngeke babe yingxenye yeBafana Bafana kulo mdlalo wangoLwesihlanu uThulani Serero olaxaze elesizwe, uHlompho Kekana oshonelwe emndenini, u-Andile Jali onamakhadi aphuzu amane, noBongani Zungu ohlawulisiwe iFIFA ngemva kokwehluleka ukuziphatha eshaya umdlali weBurkina Faso ngendololwane. U-Itumelenge Khune uqalile ukuziqeqesha neqembu ngoLwesithathu ngemuva kokwethuka ukuthi angase engadlali kulo mdlalo kulandela ukulimala kabi esweni ezakhe zibhekene neChippa United emdlalweni weTelkom Knockout ngeledlule.
“Konke kulele kithina, okudinga sikwenze ukunqoba imidlalo yomibili bese siqala amalungiselelo okuya eRussia. Siyazethemba sonke lapha ekhempini ukuthi kungenzeka uma sibambisene,” kusho uStuart Baxter izolo ngoLwesine. Phakathi kwabadlali abayingozi okufanele iBafana ibaqaphele kuSenegal singabala uCheikhou Kouyate, uSadio Mane, u-Idrissa Gueye noDiafra Sakho bonke abayibamba ku-English Premier League futhi abayizethenjwa emaqenjini abo.