UKUNQOBA ekuhambeni emdlalweni wokuhlungela ama-Olympic neTanzania yisinyathelo sokuqala iBanyana Banyana efuna ukusifeza ukuze yandise amathuba okudlulela emzuliswaneni olandelayo wokuhlunga.
Lokho kushiwo wukaputeni weqembu lesizwe, uThembi Kgatlana, evunyelwa wumqeqeshi uDesiree Ellis.
IBanyana izodlala neTwiga Stars e-Azam Complex Stadium eDar es Salaam namuhla ngo-3 ntambama. Umlenze wesibili useMbombela Stadium eMpumalanga, ngoLwesibili ebusuku.
Iqembu elizonqoba uma sekuhlanganiswe imilenze yomibili, lizodlulela emzuliswaneni wokugcina wokuhlunga ozocacisa ukuthi yimaphi amazwe amabili azomela i-Afrika kuma-Olympic azoba seParis, eFrance, kusukela ngoJulayi kuya ku-Agasti.
“Okusemqoka kakhulu wukwazi ukuthi sidlala ekuhambeni, ngakho into esiyifunayo wukuthola umphumela omuhle. Ngicabanga ukuthi sizobe sesikwazi ukuxazulula konke okunye uma sesibuyela ekhaya.
Yibhola leli, siyihlaziyile iTanzania kodwa nayo yenze okufanayo. Konke kuzoncika ekutheni ngubani ofuna ukuwuthatha kakhulu umdlalo,” kusho uKgatlana.
“Ngeke sithi iNingizimu Afrika ikleliswe phezulu noma iTanzania iphansi. Okubaluleke kakhulu wukuthi yiliphi iqembu elizozimisela kakhulu. Womabili amaqembu adlale kahle ukuze afinyelele kulesi sigaba. Engingakusho nje wukuthi sengathi iqembu elingcono linganqoba.”
IBanyana ikleliswe endaweni ka-52 emhlabeni bese ilala endaweni yesibili e-Afrika, ilandela iNigeria. ITanzania isendaweni ka-146 emhlabeni, nasendaweni ka-27 e-Afrika.
U-Ellis uthe ngeke bagxile kakhulu ekuklelisweni kwamaqembu njengoba izimbangi zabo eziphekwa nguBakari Shime, sezikhombisile ukuthi ziyingozi kangakanani.
ITwiga Stars idlule emzuliswaneni wokuqala wokuhlunga ingadlalanga kulandela ukuhoxa kweCongo kodwa kowesibili ishaye iBotswana ngo 3-0 uma sekuhlanganiswe imilenze yomibili.
NgoDisemba ihlule iTogo ngo 3-2 yazibekisela indawo kwiWomen’s Africa Cup of Nations yanonyaka.
“Sinawo ama-vidiyo emidlalo yabo. Sesike sawahlaziya. Bashaye iTogo, eyayikhona kwiWafcon edlule. Baphinde bahlula iBotswana muva nje ukuze bangene kulesi sigaba. Sonke siyazi ukuthi iBotswana idlala kahle kangakanani. Yingakho singeke sithathe lutho kalula,” kusho u-Ellis.
Yize kunjalo uthe kusemqoka ukuthi babuye benqobile eTanzania.
“Asidingi ukuthatha amashansi silinde umlenze wesibili ngoba uma siya kulo mdlalo sizitshela ukuthi izinto sizolungisa ekhaya, singahle sizifake obishini bese siyahluleka ukuphuma kulona,” kuphetha u-Ellis.