LISAQHUBEKA iphupho likaLionel Messi lokusiza i-Argentina iqukule iNdebe yoMhlaba njengoba kwenza uDiego Maradona, ngo-1986, kodwa uLuka Modric, nozakwabo kwiCroatia ngeke bavume ukuthi kwenzeke kalula lokho ngoba nabo balibhekile ithuba lokuphakamisa le ndebe ngemuva kokuhlulwa kowamanqamu ngo-2018, eRussia.
Kusukela i-Argentina iphoxwe yiSaudi Arabia eyigile emdlalweni wokuqala, ivuke yazithatha njengoba izithola ibhekene neCroatia kowandulela owamanqamu namuhla ngo-9 ebusuku, eLusail Stadium, eQatar.
Kucishe konakala nokho kwi-quarter final njengoba i-Argentina idinge amaphenathi kade ihamba phambili ngo-2-0 sekusele imizuzu eyisikhombisa ukuthi umdlalo uphele kodwa yavumela ukuthi iNetherlands ishaye amagoli amabili okulinganisa. Igcine inqoba sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi.
Okuqapheleka ngokushesha kule midlalo eseQatar, ubuningi babalandeli be-Argentina nomsindo abawenzayo uma iqembu labo selibadinga ukuthi balifukule enkundleni.
“Siyizinsizwa, siyazethemba futhi sizimisele ukwenza noma yini ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abantu abangu-45 million esibashiye ekhaya bazishaya isifuba ngathi,” kusho unozinti we-Argentina, u-Emiliano Martinez, kwi-Globo.com ebuzwa ngokuthi kulikhulise kangakanani ithemba kubona ukuphuma kweBrazil.
Sekudlule iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili uMessi aphoxeka kowamanqamu beshaywa iGermany ngo-2014 ngemizuzu yokugcina emqhudelwaneni owawuseBrazil.
Njengoba uMessi eseneminyaka engu-35, abaningi babuka lo mqhudelwano njengethuba lakhe lokugcina lokuhamba ezinyathelweni zikaMaradona ahlale eqhathaniswa naye.
Lo muzwa usaqhubeka yize uMessi ewinise i-Argentina iCopa America muva nje.
“ICroatia iyiqembu elihlale linzima koweNdebe yoMhlaba okufakazelwa ukumelana kwabo neBrazil esigabeni esedlule,” kusho uMessi esithangamini nabezindaba ecashunwa i-Globo.
“Kunezikhathi lapho iCroatia ibingcono khona kuneBrazil ngokubona kwami ngakho-ke kufanele sizibambe ziqine uma sesibhekene nayo.
“Bayinkinga kakhulu esiswini. Banabadlali abadlalela amaqembu ahlonishwayo emhlabeni. Okunye okubenza bahlangane ukuthi basadlala ngabadlali abebegijima ngabo nakoweNdebe yoMhlaba edlule,” kusho uMessi.
Okusobala ngezikaModric ukuthi azinankinga ngokulihamba lonke ibanga njengoba zenzile kwiJapan nakwiBrazil kwi-Last 16 nakwi-quarter final ngokwahlukana.
Umdlalo wokuqala kaModric eseneminyaka engu-20 kwiCroatia ngo-2006, uwudlale ne-Argentina banqoba ngo-3-2 kanti ubekhona futhi leli qembu lesizwe lishaya i-Argentina ngo-3-0 kowamaqoqo eRussia.
“Sinenhlanhla yokuba nabadlali abafana noModric nabanye adlala nabo esisiwini ngoba okwethu ukumaka bese silinika bona ibhola,” kusho uJosip Juranovic, ongomunye wabadlali beCroatia abagqamile eQatar.
Seziphumile izilomo zabadlali kulo mqhudelwano. Kuqale ngoLuis Saurez okhihle isililo waze waba nesibibithwane bekhishwa yiGhana kwi-Last 16. Ngempelasonto, kulandele uNaymar bekhishwa iCroatia. Kuthe kusamunyugwa leyo ndaba, kwalandela uCristiano Ronaldo nePortugal. Yingakho manje esebheke ukuthi uMessi uzoqhubeka nokuzisondeza ekubeni umpetha womhlaba noma lelo thuba lizowela kuModric.
Emdlalweni wakusasa owandulela owamanqamu kuzotholana iFrance neMorocco e-Al Bayt Stadium, ngo-9 ebusuku.