IZITHANDWA zabalandeli beBafana Bafana ezingokaputeni, uRonwen Williams noTeboho Mokoena, zibhoboka ngesifiso sokuthi okwenziwe yileli qembu lesizwe linganikwe lutho kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), kuvuselele uthando nokuzethemba kubantu baseNingizimu Afrika ngeqembu labo.
UWilliams noMokoena, bobabili abadlala kwiMamelodi Sundowns, bayihole njengesibani ngokwahlukana iBafana kwi-Afcon. Bakhulume nethimba labezindaba leSouth African Football Association (Safa) emuva kokukhishwa yiNigeria kowandulela owamanqamu.
Nakuba laba badlali bevumelana ngobunzima bokwamukela ukuthi abazange bawuqede umsebenzi kodwa babona owakusasa neDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) njengethuba lokuthoba izinhliziyo zabo nezabantu baseNingizimu Afrika.
IBafana izobanga indondo yethusi neDRC (ekhishwe yi-Ivory Coast) kusasa ngo-10 ebusuku eStade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, e-Abijan.
Ubuqhawe bukaWilliams yibona obufake iBafana kowandulela amanqamu emva kokuvimba kwakhe amaphenathi amane bekhipha iCape Verde.
Kwi-last 16, uMokoena wuyena oshayele isipikili sokugcina ngengcwenga ye-freekick ngesikhathi iBafana ingcwaba iMorocco efike kulo mqhudelwano ithwelwe ngeqoma.
UMokoena wuyena futhi olamulele iqembu lesizwe kukubi elishayela iphenathi yokulinganisa kwiNigeria yize imhlulile eyokuqala sekukhahlelwa ngoba zibambene ngo 1-1 sekuphele isikhathi esengeziwe.
“Akumnandi enhliziyweni kodwa ngizishaya isifuba ngabadlali beBafana nangendlela ebesihlangene ngayo nebesisebenza ngokuzikhandla ngayo kula masonto amahlanu adlule,” kusho uWilliams ejobelela ngokuthi kufanele ngabe yibona abaya kowamanqamu.
“Konke obekwenziwa ngabalandeli eNingizimu Afrika ezinkundleni zokuxhumana bekufika kithina futhi sikusebenzisa ukuzikhuthaza.
“Sekuphele cishe unyaka ngikhala ngokubukwa yizihlalo kweBafana uma idlalela ekhaya kodwa nginethemba lokuthi imiphumela esiyithole kwi-Afcon izobabuyisa abalandeli bethu.”
UWilliams uyakugcizelela ukuthi iBafana iyabadinga abalandeli futhi uyazi ukuthi imiphumela yiyona ewukhiye ekugqugquzeleni lokho.
Lo kaputeni ubona ithuba lokubuqinisa nakakhulu ubudlelwano phakathi kwabo nabalandeli kodwa lokhu kulele ekutheni babuye nethusi kwi-Afcon.
“Umsebenzi awuphelile. Leli ithuba lokuzithoba amanxeba ngoba sikwenze kahle konke kwabhimba ekugcineni. Kubalulekile ukuya kulo mdlalo ngomqondo oqondile ngoba umqoka kakhulu. Ngalo mdlalo sizokugoqa konke okuhle esikwenzile kwi-Afcon,” kuphetha uWilliams.
UMokoena naye obekhuluma emuva komdlalo uhambe emazwini kaWilliams ngethemba lokubuya kwabalandeli.
“Asizange sifike lapho besifuna ukufika khona kepha sifikile lapho bekungacatshangwa ukuthi sizofika khona kulo mqhudelwano. Isifiso sethu wukuthi ngalokhu esikwenzile, uthando, ukuzethemba nokuziqhenya ngeBafana kwaseminyakeni edlule kuzobuya kubalandeli,” kuphetha uMokoena.