Aseqhathiwe amazwe azoqhudelana emidlalweni yama-Olympic

Kuphelile ukuqagela ngokuqhathwa kwamazwe azoba yingxenye yomqhudelwano we-Olympics ozobanjelwa eTokyo, eJapan, kulo nyaka.

Ukuqhathwa kwamazwe azobamba iqhaza kunobhutshuzwayo kwenziwe ngoLwesithathu emini.

Lo mqhudelwano uzoqala mhla zingama-22 kuNtulikazi kuya mhla ziyisi-7 kuNcwaba. 

Iqembu lakuleli likanobhutshuzwayo labaneminyaka yobudala engama-23 lifakwe eqoqweni lokuqala. Kuleli qoqo leli qembu eliqeqeshwa uDavid Notoane lifakwe neJapan engosokhaya, iFrance kanye neMexico.

“Indlela okuqhathwe ngayo iyajabulisa, amaqembu esinawo awethusi kakhulu. Kuyajabulisa ukuthi sekuqhathiwe kusho ukuthi sizothola isikhathi eside ukuzilungiselela,” kusho uNotoane.

Emasontweni edlule lo mqeqeshi umemezele abadlali abangama-40 abazolwela ukuyomela iNingizimu Afrika ku-Olympics. Kulaba badlali kudingeka abali-18 bese kubakhona abathathu abangaphezulu kweminyaka yobudala engama-23.

Kubadlali abadala okuzokhethwa kubona kukhona uThemba Zwane, uRicardo Goss ongunozinti, uThabelo Morena, uMusa Lebusa noMothobi Mvala beMamelodi Sundowns, uRowen Williams ongunozinti weSuperSport United kanye noPercy Tau weBrighton Hove & Albion okuyiqembu eligijima ku-English Premier League (EPL) e-England. 

UMvala uma engaya kulo mqhudelwano kuyobe useya okwesibili kwazise waya ngonyaka wezi-2016.

Umqeqeshi weBrighton uGraham Potter uthe uma kwenzeka ebizwa uTau uzomkhulula kwazise ukuya kwakhe kulo mqhudelwano kuzomenza akhule ebholeni.

INingizimu Afrika okwesithathu iba yingxenye yalo mqhudelwano, yaba khona ngonyaka wezi-2000 ubanjelwe eSydney, e-Australia, yabamba iqhaza futhi ngonyaka wezi-2016 eRio de Janeiro, eBrazil.

“Okumele sikwenze manje ukubheka imidlalo yezitha yakamumva ukuze sizokwazi ukuthi siyodlala nabantu abanjani. Ngiyaphinda ngiyasho indlela okuqhathwe ngayo iyangigculisa kakhulu. Ngaphandle kokungabaza sizodlulela esigabeni esilandelayo okungesomkhumulajezi, isikwati okumele ngikhethe kusona sinabadlali abasezingeni eliphezulu bodwa futhi asebezakhelile igama ebholeni lakuleli,” kusho uNotoane.

Uma lingenza kahle elakuleli kobe kusho ukubuyisa isithunzi kwazise iBafana Bafana yehlulekile ukungena emqhudelwaneni i-African Cup of Nations (AFCON) ezokuba ngonyaka ozayo eCameroon.

Khonamanjalo, kuzo ezithinta iNingizimu Afrika kulindeleke ukuthi kuphele ukuqagela ngomqeqeshi omusha weBafana Bafana njengoba kubhekwe ukuthi amenyezelwe kusasa ngoMgqibelo. Abaqeqeshi amagama abo ahamba phambili uHerve Renard noCarlos Quiroz.

URenard (wodumo lehembe elimhlophe) uzakhele udumo enqoba i-AFCON kabili namazwe ahlukene, ayinqoba ngonyaka wezi-2012 eqeqesha iZambia nangowezi-2015 epheka i-Ivory Coast.

UQuiroz uma engathola ithuba kuyobe kusho ukuthi usebuya okwesibili ekuqeqesheni iBafana Bafana njengoba ake ayipheka ngowezi-2002.

Amaqoqo ku-Olympics aqhathwe kanje:

• Eqoqweni A: IJapan, iNingizimu Afrika, iFrance neMexico.
• Eqoqweni B: INew Zealand, iKorea Republic, iHonduras neRomaria.
• Eqoqweni C: I-Egypt, iSpain, i-Argentina ne-Australia.
• Eqoqweni D: IBrazil, iGermany, i-Ivory Coast neSaudi Arabia.