IFOMU yakamuva yeBafana Bafana kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ibukeka seyilibuyisile ithemba lokuthi ingahamba ibanga elide kulo mqhudelwano osekuphenduke isifiso seminyaka kuleli qembu lesizwe elagcina ngo-1998 ukufinyelela kowamanqamu.
IBafana, okubukeka ingagcina isifezile lesi sifiso, ibhekene nenselelo yokudlula kwiCape Verde emdlalweni wama-quarterfinal e-Afcon eCharles Konan Banny Stadium, eYamoussoukro, e-Ivory Coast, namuhla ngo-10 ebusuku.
Womabili la maqembu eza kulo mdlalo ephuphuma ukuzethemba ngenxa yefomu yawo yakamuva, ikakhulukazi iBafana emangaze abaningi ibhuquzisa iMorocco ngo 2-0 ngoLwesibili kowe-Last 16.
Kwi-Afcon ka-2019 iBafana yenza okuthi akufane nekwenze kwiMorocco njengoba yaguqisa i-Egypt kowe-Last 16 eyayithwelwe ngeqoma futhi ingosokhaya kodwa yabe seyishaywa yizitha zayo ezindala, iNigeria, kuma-quarterfinal.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iCape Verde esikhombise izimpawu zokuba yiqembu elingagayelwa mphako kwi-Afcon yakulo nyaka, iza kulo mdlalo nje ayikatholi sibhaxu kusukela esigabeni samaqoqo njengoba kukhonye yona kuGroup B ebiboshelwe kuwo ne-Egypt, Ghana neMozambique.
ICape Verde ifinyelele kowama-quarterfinal ngokushaya iMauritania ngo 1-0 koweLast 16 ngoMsombuluko.
Ukubhekana kwala maqembu kwenza ubhekwe ngabomvu lo mdlalo wawo wanamuhla kawafa wafa njengoba kubukeka umlando uveza ukuthi alikho egoba uphondo phakathi kwawo.
Emidlalweni eyisihlanu iBafana inqobe emibili neCape Verde yanqoba emibili. Komunye badlala ngokulingana.
Ukwenza umdlalo wanamuhla uthathwe njengowamagqubu, ikakhulukazi ngasohlangothini lweBafana, wukuthi mhla egcina ukuhlangana la maqembu kowokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba, iBafana yaguqiswa yiBlue Sharks ngo 2-1 eThekwini.
Okuqaphelekile ngeBafana wukuthi nakuba ivule ngesibhaxu esigabeni samaqoqo, ngesikhathi ibhaxabulwa yiMali ngo 2-0, kodwa emidlalweni emithathu elandele lapho ayingenelwanga yigoli. Lokhu kukhomba ukuqina kodonga lwayo lwasemuva oluholwa ngunozinti osengumakadebona nongukaputeni, uRonwen Williams.
UJohn Tlale, owayengunozinti weBafana nowayeseqenjini leBafana eladla isicoco se-Afcon ngo-1996, uthe uWilliams ubhekene nenselelo yokuqhubeka nokukhomoza ibutho lakhe nasemdlalweni wanamuhla neCape Verde.
“Ubuholi bukaWilliams abungatshazwa futhi ukukhombisile lokho kusukela emdlalweni wokuqala sibhekene neMali. Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi izinguquko ezenziwa ngumqeqeshi, uHugo Broos, emdlalweni weNamibia zaba nomthelela omkhulu ekuqiniseni udonga lwasemuva. Njengamanje udonga lwasemuva lweBafana luqine kakhulu futhi lungamelana nanoma yiliphi iqembu. Kuphela nje uWilliams ubhekene nenselelo yokuthi aqhubeke nokulikhomoza udonga lwakhe ngaso sonke isikhathi ukugwema ingozi iseza. Okuhle kakhulu wukuthi bobane laba badlali basemuva ngabadlali abazanayo, ukubala naye unozinti uqobo, uWilliams,” kusho uTlale othipha uWilliams kwesonozinti ovelele kwi-Afcon uma engaqhubeka nefomu yakhe.