UKAPUTENI wakudala weBafana Bafana, uLucas “Rhoo” Radebe, ukholelwa ekutheni ukhiye waleli qembu lesizwe wokukhipha iNigeria kowandulela owamanqamu we-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ulele ekutheni ingazithambisi kepha yengeze kulokhu esivele ikwenzile njengoba ize yafika kuleli zinga ekulona.
IBafana neNigeria bazobanga indawo kowamanqamu ongeSonto ngokugijimisana emdlalweni onamuhla ngo-7 ebusuku ePeace Stadium of Bouake, e-Ivory Coast.
URadebe owayekhona esikimini seBafana esaqala umdlalo wamanqamu iBafana ewunqobe ngo 2-0 kwiTunisia ngoFebhuwari ngo-1996 kwi-Afcon edlalelwe eNingizimu Afrika, ukholelwa ekutheni iNigeria iyona etatazelayo ngenxa yalokhu iBafana esikwenzile.
Lesi sitobha esiwelele emadlelweni aluhlaza kulandela ukugqama kuwona lo mqhudelwano wango-1996, sishumayela elokuzethemba ngoba uma iBafana ike yazithambisa iNigeria izokuqaphela lokhu.
“Sinethuba ngoba iNigeria uma ibhekene nathi isuke yazi ukuthi nakanjani izonqoba ngakho-ke ithuba lokulethusa iqembu elikuthatha kanjalo lilikhulu” kusho uRadebe kwiSolezwe izolo.
“Bawuhlobo lweqembu lesizwe elisisebenzisayo isithunzi ngakho-ke bazobona zisuka uma sibanika inhlonipho engaphezulu kwale okufanele sibanike yona.
“Ukuzethemba kwethu kuphezulu ngenxa yemiphumela esivele sesiyitholile kulo mqhudelwano. Sesikhiphe amazwe okuyiwe e-Ivory Coast esatshwa e-Afrika.
“Kuzosifakela isithunzi lokhu kwiNigeria ngisho ingazama kanjani ukukufihla lokhu kodwa okumqoka kunakho konke ukungalokothi siyesabe kumbe sikhombise izimpawu zokuzithambisa,” kulandisa uRadebe.
UNeil “Mokoko” Tovey okunguyena oqukule inkomishi kwazise iqembu laliholwa uyena ngo-1996, ucashunwe i-AFP khona izolo ehamba emazwini ikaRadebe.
“INigeria isibukise ngathi kakhulu eminyakeni edlule kusukela isixebula ngo 4-0 kowokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ngo-1994,” kusho uTovey sakubalisa.
“Okuhle ukuthi eminyakeni edlule izinto zijikile sazibuyisa izinduku kodwa kulokhu kumqoka kakhulu ngoba nabo bakubhekile ukuba ompetha njengathi.
“Siyobe sizigwaza ngowethu uma sihlala emuva kulo mdlalo. Kufanele siyazise umdlalo uqala ukuthi izoba semdlalweni onzima iNigeria ngoba uma singakwenzi lokho kuzokwenzeka kithina,” kusonga uTovey.
Kubadlali okubhekwe ukuthi bathwese iNigeria ubunzima kukhona uThemba Zwane owayekhona ngesikhathi iBafana yehlulwa yiSuper Eagles kwi-Afcon ka-2019, Teboho Mokoena, Percy Tau. Emuva kulindeleke ukuthi luqine kakhulu udonga olwakhiwe nguMothobi Mvala, Grant Kekana, Khuliso Mudau no-Aubrey Modiba.