ISITOBHA seNigeria, uSemi Ajayi, sibona besethubeni lokuwola amaphuzu amathathu emdlalweni wakusihlwa wamaqoqo wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ezokwamukela kuwona iBafana Bafana.
ISuper Eagles neBafana bazotholana phezulu emdlalweni kaGroup C ozoqala ngo-9 kusihlwa eGodswill Akpabio International Stadium, edolobheni i-Uyo.
Kuleli qoqo kuqhwakele iRwanda ngamaphuzu amane, kulandele iNingizimu Afrika ngamathathu. INigeria, Lesotho neZimbabwe banamaphuzu amabili iqembu ngalinye, bese emsileni kuvala iBenin.
Ngesikhathi iNigeria neBafana begcina ukuhlangana kowandulela owamanqamu kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) eyayibanjelwe e-Ivory Coast ekuqaleni konyaka iSuper Eagles yadlula ngo 4-2 sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi kulandela umdlalo owaphela zibambene ngo 1-1.
INigeria izongena kulo mdlalo ngaphandle komdlali owaqokwa njengovelele kwizwekazi i-Afrika ngonyaka odlule, uVictor Osimhen, olimele. Nokho, u-Ajayi uthe banenqwaba yabanye abadlali abazoba wuhlupho ezitobheni zeBafana.
Phakathi kwabo kukhona abashisayo beBayern Leverkusen, uNathan Tella noVictor Boniface, u-Ademola Lookman we-Atalanta, ohlohle amagoli amathathu kowamanqamu e-Europa League, omakadebona uKelechi Iheanacho benoSamuel Chukwueze, nabanye.
“Siwubheke ngabomvu umdlalo (neBafana). Sithemba ukuthi sizokwenza abantu baseNigeria baziqhenye ngokuwathatha womathathu amaphuzu,” usho kanje u-Ajayi ekhuluma kwiYouTube ekhasini le-Onrise TV.
“Kuzoba umdlalo onzima njengoba kwenzeka ngesikhathi sibhekene kwi-Afcon ngakho-ke ngeke siwuthathe kancane. Sizilungiselele futhi sizokwenza okusemandleni ukuthi sinqobe.
“Akuyena yedwa u-Osimhen ongekho, bakhona nabanye abadlali abamqoka abangekho. Okuhle ngezwe lethu wukuthi sibusiswe ngabadlali abaningi abaseqophelweni eliphezulu.”
ISuper Eagles ayiyiqalanga kahle le midlalo ngesikhathi ibambana neLesotho ngo 1-1, yathola umphumela ofanayo ibhekene neZimbabwe.
Ngaleso sikhathi yayisaphekwa ngumqeqeshi wasePortugal, uJose Peseiro, kodwa inkontileka yakhe ayizange ivuselelwe ngemuva kwe-Afcon, yize iqembu laqeda endaweni yesibili.
Izintambo seziphethwe yinkakha yaseNigeria, uFinidi George.
‘Sekunesikhathi eside umqeqeshi eyingxenye yeqembu njengoba ebeyiphini lomqeqeshi osanda kushiya. Siyamazi futhi naye uyasazi. Sonke siyakuqonda okulindelekile. Izinhlelo zethu aziphazamisekanga futhi namalungiselelo ahambe kahle,” uqhube kanje u-Ajayi.
“Sesibheke phambili manje, ikakhulukazi le midlalo emibili okufanele siyidlale ezinsukwini ezizayo. Asicabangi ukuthi sizowaphiwa amaphuzu. Kuzofanele siwasebenzele futhi yilokho esihlele ukukwenza.”
Amaqembu ayisishiyagalolunye azoqhwakela eqoqweni ngalinye kule midlalo yokuhlunga azozibekisela izindawo eNdebeni yoMhlaba yango-2026. Amane azoqeda endaweni yesibili ngamaphuzu angcono azolwela igunya lokuyobanga elinye ithikithi namaqembu aphuma kwamanye amazwekazi.