ABAPHATHI beCosafa bazishaya isifuba ngamagxathu athathwe ngamaqembu aseNingizimu nezwekazi i-Afrika emqhudelwaneni i-Africa Cup of Nations eqhubekayo e-Ivory Coast.
Mathathu amazwe aqhamuka kwiCosafa adlulele ku-Last-16 okuyiNingizimu Afrika, i-Angola neNamibia. IZambia neMozambique bakhishwe esigabeni samaqoqo kodwa nabo bafike kwezwakala kulo mqhudelwano.
IMozambique idlale ngokulingana ngo 2-2 ne-Egypt kanye neGhana, kwathi iZambia nayo yacosha amaphuzu amabili njengoba ibambene ngo 1-1 neDemocratic Republic of Congo neTanzania.
Umdlalo ozobe uphakathi kwe-Angola neNamibia ngo-7 kusihlwa usho ukuthi kunesiqiniseko sokuthi okungenani iqembu elilodwa le-Cosafa lizongena kuma-quarterfinal.
IBafana Bafana ingase inyuse isibalo sibe ngamaqembu amabili uma ingashaya iMorocco emdlalweni wayo weLast-16 ngoLwesibili ebusuku.
Nge-Afcon ka-2019, kwi-Last 16 iCosafa yayimelwe ngamaqembu amabili okuyiNingizimu Afrika neMadagascar. Yaphinde yaba namaqembu amabili esigabeni esifanayo salo mqhudelwano ngo-2021okuyiComoros neMalawi.
“ICosafa ijabule ngemiphumela ezuzwe ngamaqembu amahlanu abeyimele kwi-Africa Cup of Nations futhi siyabahalalisela bonke ngokuqhakambisa isifunda e-Ivory Coast,” kusho uMqondisi weCosafa, uSue Destombes.
“INamibia iqophe umlando ngokufinyelela kwiLast-16 okokuqala, ngenxa yomsebenzi womqeqeshi uCollin Benjamin. Besilokhu siyibona ithuthuka kwiCosafa Cup.
“I-Angola idlulele esigabeni somkhumulajezi okokuqala kusukela ngo-2010 njengoba iqhwakele eqoqweni layo, kwathi iNingizimu Afrika yadlula eqoqweni elinzima lapho ilwe khona yadlala ibhola elisezingeni eliphezulu.
“Siyithandile nendlela iZambia neMozambique abadlale ngayo futhi siyaziqhenya ngabo yize bengadlulanga esigabeni samaqoqo.
“IMozambique ithathe amaphuzu amabili eqoqweni elinzima ngendlela emangalisayo ebelihlanganise ne-Egypt, iGhana neCape Verde. IZambia nayo ithathe amaphuzu amabili, yaphuma ilwile ibhekene neMorocco, efinyelele kowandulela owamanqamu eNdebeni yoMhlaba ka-2022.
UTimothy Shongwe, onguSihlalo wekomidi elibhekelele imiqhudelwano yeCosafa, uthe ukwenza kahle kwamaqembu aqhamuka kulesi funda kuwubufakazi bamagalelo ale nhlangano ekuthuthukiseni ibhola kusukela emazingeni aphansi kuya kwaphezulu.
“Siyajabula ukuthi umsebenzi onzima owenziwe yiCosafa ekuthuthukiseni ibhola kulesi sifunda kusukela ku-Under 17 usuqalile ukuthela izithelo,” kusho uShongwe.
“Abadlali abaningi asebegijima emaqenjini abo esizwe amakhulu baqale emiqhudelwaneni yethu yamaqembu amancane, okuyilapho beqale khona ukudlala imiqhudelwano ngamazwe.
“Sikholwa wukuthi lesi kuseyisiqalo nje futhi sinezinhlelo ezinqala zokuqhubeka nokuthuthukisa ibhola kulesi funda, " uphethe kanje.
Mabili amaqembu aqhamuka kwiCosafa aseke adla isicoco se-Afcon phambilini. INingizimu Afrika yaphakamisa le ndebe ekhaya ngo-1996, iZambia yanqoba umqhudelwano owawubanjelwe eGabon base-Equatorial Guinea ngo-2012.