UMGADLI nesihlabani seFrance, uKylian Mbappe, ungomunye wabadlali ababhekwe yiningi labathandi bebhola koweNdebe yoMhlaba, eQatar.
Kubhekwe ngabomvu ukuthi yena nozakwabo bazokwazi yini ukusiza iqembu labo lesizwe ekutheni livikele isicoco seNdebe yoMhlaba.
UMbappe (23), owadlala okokuqala eNdebeni yoMhlaba ngo-2018 eneminyaka engu-19, washaya amagoli amane walingana nozakwabo u-Antoine Griezmann, uCristiano Ronaldo wePortugal, uRomelu Lukaku weBelgium, noDenis Cheryshev weRussia, kwathi uHarry Kane we-England wadla umhlanganiso ngamagoli ayisithupha.
Kanti eNdebeni yoMhlaba ka-2022, uMbappe ubukeka ethelwe ngezibonkolo, njengoba esevalele phakathi amagoli amahlanu emidlalweni emine, kusukela esigabeni samaqoqo kuya emzuliswaneni weLast 16.
Ukushaya kwakhe amagoli amabili ngesikhathi iFrance, ibhaxabula iPoland ngo 3-1 emzuliswaneni weLast 16, kumenze waphula irekhodi lenkakha yaseBrazil, uPele, lomdlali ongakafinyeleli eminyakeni engu-24 yobudala ukushaya amagoli amaningi eNdebeni yoMhlaba. Kumanje useshaye ayisishiyagalombili kusukela kweyoMhlaba yango-2018.
UMbappe ozohlanganisa iminyaka engu-24 ngoDisemba 20, uphinde waphula irekhodi lenkakha ye-Argentina, uDiego Maradona (ongasekho) nelikaCristiano Ronaldo lamagoli ayisishiyagalombili. Kumanje usebambene noLionel Messi ngamagoli ayisishiyagalolunye, kanti usejaha elamagoli angu-16 lenkakha yaseGermany, uMirolsav Klose.
Empeleni abathandi bebhola abaningi bangakuthatha ngokuthi amagoli amahlanu asewashayile lo mgadli uwanembe emaqenjini ‘angenasimanga’ eNdebeni yoMhlaba, okuyi-Australia, iDenmark, iTunisia, nePoland.
Ngakho akungatshazwa ukuthi umdlalo wanamuhla we-quarterfinal phakathi kweFrance ne-England, yiwona ozocacisa ngamangwevu ale nkalimeva yomgadli.
Lo mdlalo obhekwe ngabomvu uzoba namuhla ngo-9 ebusuku, e-Al Bayt Stadium, e-Al Khor, eQatr.
Yize womabili amaqembu enezihlabani ezibhekiwe kodwa akungatshazwa ukuthi okubhekwe kakhulu wukuthi ngabe uMbappe uzokwazi ukudlula esiqongqwaneni se-England, uKyle Walker, ozobe ebhekene nomsebenzi wokuvimba lo mgadli owuhlupho, yize kuzobe kungekhona okokuqala ebhekana naye.
Seliqalile isasasa ‘ngempi’ kaMbappe noWalker, njengoba uWalker ecashunwe ngabezindaba kuleli sonto efunga egomela ethi ngeke ‘amendlalele ukhaphethi obomvu’ emdlalweni.
“Ungumdlali (uMbappe) oseqophelweni eliphezulu nosefomini enhle kakhulu futhi obalwa nabadlali abahamba phambili emhlabeni njengamanje. Ngiyakwazi okudingeka ngikwenze. Ukuthi nje ngimvimbe kwaphela. Ngakho-ke ngeke ngimedlalele ukhaphethi obomvu ngithi akedlule azoshaya igoli,” kusho uWalker ecashunwa yiGoal.com.
Imidlalo yama-quarterfinal eNdebe yoMhlaba:
Namuhla:
Morocco v Portugal (Al Thumama Stadium, 5pm); France v England (Al Bayt Stadium, 9pm).