Rwanda (2) 2
Bafana Bafana (0) 0
IBAFANA Bafana imoshe ithuba lokuzibeka endaweni enhle eqoqweni layo kweyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026, ijuqwa yiRwanda ngo 2-0 eHuye Stadium, eButare, ngoLwesibili ntambama.
Amagoli aMavubi angene esiwombeni sokuqala kungakapheli nemizuzu engu-30, evalelwa ngu-Innocent Nshuti noGilbert Mugisha.
Iqembu lasekhaya belibheke ukunqoba okokuqala kuGroup C kulandela ukubambana ngo 0-0 neZimbabwe kowokuvula enkundleni efanayo. IBafana ibihlose ukuphinde iqoqe amaphuzu amathathu kwazise ibisiwatholile iguqisa iBenin ngo 2-1 eThekwini, ngempelasonto edlule.
Umqeqeshi weBafana, uHugo Broos, ubekhalile ngesimo senkundla obekudlalelwa kuyona enotshani bokwakhiwa. Isimo sayo sibhede kakhulu ngenxa yemvula eyidlive ngaphambi kokuthi kuqale umdlalo, eholele ekutheni ibhola libhajwe emanzini ezindaweni eziningi.
Kube sobala ukuthi iqembu lasekhaya lizosebenzisa amabhola amade ukuze lisheshe lifike phambili bese likhahlelela ipali. Lithole amathuba amabili ngale ndlela lawabeka eceleni, nokuyinto obekufanele isheshe iyiphaphamise iBafana.
Leli qhinga lisebenzile ngomzuzu ka-13 ngebhola eliqhamuke emuva ngakwesokunxele ku-Emmanuel Imanishimwe, ladluliswa nguLague Byiringiro. UNkosinathi Sibisi uhlulekile ukulithola, lawela onyaweni lukaNshuti, oshaye umgundatshani engaphandle kwebhokisi, walizwa ngendaba unozinti weBafana, uRonwen Williams.
Kuze kwaphela imizuzu engu-25 iqembu lakuleli lihluleka ukuhlasela, aMavubi kuyiwona akhombisa ukufuna igoli lesibili. Alitholile ngomzuzu ka-28 uKhuliso Mudau ehluleka ukukhipha ibhola ebhokisini ngakwesokudla, walibeka phakathi kalula uMugisha.
Kuphele isiwombe sokuqala iBafana isizama ukuya phambili kodwa ihluleka ukwakha amathuba acacile. Kumakhona amabili awatholile sekuzoyiwa ekhefini ishodi likaMihlali Mayambela livinjwe yisitobha seRwanda, kwathi ebelingqofwe nguSiphephelo Sithole ngekhanda laphuma phezu kwepali.
Kubuywe ngesiwombe sesibili iqembu lakuleli lisahluleka ukudlula odongeni lwasemuva lweRwanda, nokuphoqe uBroos ukuthi asheshe enze ushintsho, efaka uZakhele Lepasa endaweni kaBongokuhle Hongwane, obecwilile kulo mdlalo.
Amanzi abesenciphile enkundleni ngemuva kwehora umdlalo uqalile, abadlali beBafana sebeqala ukubonana. Ibhola ebeliqhamuka kuMayambela kwesokunxele lithole uTeboho Mokoena maphakathi ngaphandle kancane kwebhokisi, ishodi alizamile laphelela ezandleni zikanozinti uFiacre Ntwari ngomzuzu ka-65.
UThemba Zwane umoshe ithuba eliyingqayizivele lokubuyisela iBafana emdlalweni ngomzuzu ka-78 akha amabhilidi esebhokisini kulandela ibhola ebeligotshwe nguMayambela ngakwesokudla.
UMayambela naye ulitholile elakhe ithuba ngomzuzu ka-88 eqhamuka ngakwesokunxele, kulokhu wagezwa nguNtwari.
Komunye umdlalo kaGroup C obubanjelwe eMoses Mabhida Stadium, iLesotho neBenin badlale ngokulingana ngo 0-0.