USithole ethubeni lokubuyela esikimini seBafana

AKACHITHANGA sikhathi ngokubuyisela umdlali wasesiswini, uSphephelo “Yaya” Sithole, eqenjini lesizwe nakuba esanda kubuyela enkundleni, umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, uHugo Broos.

USithole (26), ogijima kwiCD Tondela esigabeni esiphezulu sasePortugal, ufakiwe esikwatini sikaBroos okuzohlungwa kusona esizodlala imidlalo emqoka yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba neZimbabwe neRwanda ngenyanga ezayo.

Lo mdlali odabuka Olundi, waphuka umlenze ngoSepthemba nyakenye, edlalela iBafana ibhekene neSouth Sudan emdlalweni kowokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations. Emuva kwalokho, akabange esaqhubeka nokudlala eqenjini abebolekiswe kulona, iGil Vicente, kwaze kwaphela isizini.

Ubuyele kwiTondela ngesikhathi ilungiselela ukuqala kwesizini ka-2025/26 kodwa wangayidlala imidlalo yokungcweka ngenxa yokuthi ubesazilolonga yedwa.

USithole udlale okokuqala esuka ebhentshini bequnjwa phansi yiBenfica ngo 3-0 koweligi ngo-Agasti 23. Uyidlalile yomithathu elandelile bebhekene ne-Estoril Praia, FC Alverca ne-Estrela Amadora.

Ukubuya kwakhe kusho ukuthi uBroos usengathembela kuyena, nabadlali abebeyibambe esiswini ngesikhathi esalimele okubalwa kubona uTeboho Mokoena, Bathusi Aubaas, Thalente Mbatha nabanye.

IBafana, isaqhwakele kuGroup C ngamaphuzu angu-17 emidlalweni eyisishiyagalombili. Ilandelwa yiBenin ngamaphuzu angu-14, neNigeria neRwanda ababambene ngangu-11.

ILesotho isendaweni yesihlanu ngamaphuzu ayisithupha, bese iZimbabwe iba semsileni ngamaphuzu amane.

Njengoba iqembu lakuleli lisengcupheni yokuphucwa amaphuzu amathathu ngokudlalisa uMokoena kungafanele ngenxa yokuthola amakhadi aphuzi, kufanele liyinqobe yomibili le midlalo yangenyanga ezayo ukuze lingathembeli kweminye imiphumela.

UBroos ubabuyisile abadlali abasebenzise emidlalweni yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba kule nyanga, lapho beguqise khona iLesotho ngo 3-0, babambana ngo 1-1 neNigeira.

Uphinde wafaka nabanye abadlali abagqamile emaqenjini abo phesheya nakuleli.

Nakuba lesi sikwati sisazoncishiswa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kusobala ukuthi uBroos uhlose ukuya kule midlalo ebucayi ngesikwati esiqine kakhulu.

IBafana izogadulisana neZimbabwe eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini,  ngo-Okthoba 10, bese idudulana neRwanda eMbombela Stadium, eMpumalanga, ngo-Okthoba 14.

Isikwati esikhulu seBafana Bafana esizobhekana neZimbabwe neRwanda

Abazinze kuleli: Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Zuko Mdunyelwa, Aubrey Modiba, Malibongwe Khoza, Bathusi Aubaas, Teboho Mokoena, Jayden Adams, Thapelo Morena, Iqraam Rayners (Mamelodi Sundowns FC); Sipho Chaine, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Thalente Mbatha, Relebohile Mofokeng, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Oswin Appollis, Patrick Maswanganyi, Tsepang Moremi, Evidence Makgopa, Sipho Mbule (Orlando Pirates FC); Renaldo Leaner, Vuyo Letlapa, Siphesihle Mkhize, Keletso Makgalwa (Sekhukhune United FC); Thabiso Monyane, Mduduzi Shabalala (Kaizer Chiefs); Thabo Moloisane, Devin Titus, Ashley Cupido (Stellenbosch FC); Thabang Matuludi, Ndamulelo Maphangule (Polokwane City FC); Darren Johnson, Keegan Allan (AmaZulu FC); Ricardo Goss (Siwelele FC); Khulumani Ndamane, Puso Dithejane (TS Galaxy FC), 

Abadlala phesheya: Ime Okon (Hannover 96, Germany); Samukelo Kabini (Molde FK, Norway); Luke Le Roux (Portsmouth FC, England); Lyle Foster (Burnley FC, England); Mihlali Mayambela (Aris Limassol, Cyprus); Mohau Nkota (Al-Ettifaq, Saudi Arabia); Sphephelo Sithole (CD Tondela, Portugal); Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota United FC, USA).