Siyazi ukuthi basibukela phansi eMzansi: oweZambia

UMQEQESHI weZambia, uMoses Sichone, uthi iqembu lakhe lizozimisela ngokuphelele uma selibhekene neBafana Bafana emdlalweni wobungani eNelson Mandela Bay Stadium, eGqeberha ngoMgqibelo ntambama.

Womabili la maqembu azosebenzisa lo mdlalo njengengxenye yamalungiselelo e-Africa Cup of Nations yanonyaka ezoqala ngoDisemba eMorocco. 

Abanye abalandeli nabahlaziyi bakuleli basigxekile isinqumo seSouth African Football Association (Safa) sokuhlela lo mdlalo neChipolopolo. Ngokubona kwabo, iqembu lakuleli bekufanele lidlale nezimbangi ezisezingeni eliphezulu.

IBafana ikleliswe endaweni ka-59 emhlabeni, kanti iZambia isendaweni ka-87.

USichone, onikwe izintambo zokuhola iZambia kulandela ukukhonjwa indlela kuka-Avram Grant, uthe iChipolopolo izokhipha wonke amandla kulo mdlalo wangoMgqibelo.

"Silindele umdlalo onzima neNingizimu Afrika futhi sifuna ukubanika umdlalo omuhle wobungani. Asiyeli ukuyodlala nje, siwuthatha njengento ebalulekile lo mdlalo futhi sihlose ukuwunqoba,” kusho uSichone ekhuluma nethimba labezindaba leZambian Football Association ekhasini leYouTube iFAZ TV.

"Siyazi ukuthi kunabantu abasibukela phansi eNingizimu Afrika. Kukhona engikufundile lapho bebethi khona bona bafanele ukudlala neBrazil. Thina sibheka umdlalo ngamunye futhi sifuna umphumela omuhle ngaphambi kokuthi siyobhekana neBurundi.”

USichone uzosizwa yizinkakha zaseZambia, u-Andrew Sinkala noPerry Mutapa, nonozinti owanqoba i-Afcon ka-2012, uKennedy Mweene.

Isikwati sokuqala asimemezele sabadlali abangu-41 besihlanganise abadlali abasebasha njengoPatson Daka weLeicester City, Fashion Sakala we-Al Fayha noJoseph Sabobo Banda waseHapoel Be’er Sheva, kanjalo nomakadebona okubalwa kubona uStoppila Sunzu, Miguel Chaiwa nabanye.

“Sizama ukuhlanganisa iqembu elinabadlali abadala nabancane. Esikufunayo abafana abakulungele ukufela izwe. Thina njengabaqeqeshi sithatha lo mdlalo wangoMgqibelo njengowamanqamu,” uqhube kanje uSichone.

“INingizimu Afrika ikwazile ukungena eNdebeni yoMhlaba, ngakho-ke lo mdlalo uyisivivinyo esihle kithina. Sizonika abanye abadlali ithuba lokuzibonakalisa ukuthi bangakwazi ukwenzani nokuthi bakulungele ukudlala kwi-Afcon. Isango lisavuliwe, ngisho nabadlali abenza kahle kwiligi yasekhaya basethubeni."