IBAFANA Bafana izothola ithuba lokujwayela isimo sezulu sase-Ivory Coast ngaphambi komqhudelwano i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
IBafana isivele izibekisele indawo kwi-Afcon kanye namazwe angu-23 azogadulisana ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo e-Ivory Coast. I-Afcon izoqala ngoJanuwari 13 e-Alassane Ouattara Stadium, isongwe ngoFebhuwari 11 e-Abidjan.
IBafana izothola ithuba lokuyobona engase ibhekane nakho nge-Afcon njengoba izoba nomdlalo wobungani ngo-Okthoba 17 ne-Ivory Coast ekuhambeni. I-Ivory Coast ngelinye lamazwe ahlonishwayo ezwenikazi i-Afrika eselike lashaya amaphiko e-Afrika. I-Afcon bekufanele idlalwe ngoJuni nonyaka kodwa yahlehliswa ngenxa yesimo sezulu esingesihle ngalesi sikhathi e-Ivory Coast kwazise kusuke kusebusika. Ngenyanga ezayo kuzoqala ihlobo kuleliyazwe.
IBafana, engajwayele ukudlala imidlalo yobungani e-Afrika, izothola ithuba lokufunda isimo sezulu ezobhekana naso nge-Afcon phezu kokuba lizobe lisethwasa ihlobo kwazise amazinga okushisa asevele anyukile. Ngaphambi kokuvakasha e-Ivory Coast, iBafana izozwana amandla ne-Eswatini emdlalweni ozoba ngo-Okthoba 13 eMzansi. Lo mdlalo uzodlalwa iBafana isiwazi amaqembu eqhathwe nawo kwi-Afcon. Amaqembu azogadulisana kulo mqhudelwano omkhulukazi e-Afrika, azoqhathwa ngo-Okthoba 12.
Ukukleliswa ezansi kweBafana (kunombolo-10) e-Afrika, kuyibeka engozini yokuqhathwa namazwe aqinile okukhona kuwona i-Ivory Coast neSenegal.
IBafana izoya kwi-Afcon okokuqala iqeqeshwa nguHugo Broos owawina lo mqhudelwano eqeqesha iCameroon ngo-2017 eGabon. Lo umqeqeshi wehlulekile ukufaka iBafana kwi-Afcon edlule kwazise ufike isiphakathi imidlalo yokuyihlungela. Kuleli sonto kulindeleke ukuthi uBroos amemezele iqembu eliphundliwe labadlali abangu-23 elizodlala yomibili eyobungani.