XOLILE MPISANE
ABATHANDI bebhola bakuleli banezizathu eziningi zokuwubheka ngabomvu umdlalo wakusasa wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba phakathi kwamaqembu amakhulu aseNtshonalanga ne-Afrika, iGhana neNigeria.
Lawa mazwe azohlangana emilenzeni emibili ukuze kucace ukuthi yiliphi phakathi kwawo elizodlala kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ezoba seQatar kuwona lo nyaka.
Umlenze wokuqala uzodlalelwa eBaba Yara Stadium, eKumasi, lapho iBlack Stars izobe ibheke ukuqala ngonyawo oluhle ekhaya ngaphambi kokubhekana neSuper Eagles e-Abuja ngoLwesibili.
Sekungumlando ukuthi iGhana ifinyelele kulesi sigaba ngokugudluza iNingizimu Afrika ukuze iqede ihlezi esicongweni kuGroup G esigabeni samaqoqo. Womabili la maqembu aqede enamaphuzu angu-13 kodwa iBlack Stars ishaye amagoli athe xaxa.
Okusekusha emiqondweni yabalandeli beBafana yiphenathi eyenza iGhana inqobe ngo 1-0 eCape Coast Sports Stadium ngoNovemba nyakenye njengoba iningi labona sengathi unompempe wayikhomba emlotheni kungafanele.
Inhlangano yakuleli yebhola, iSafa, nayo ayisheshanga ukuwamukela umphumela njengoba yaze yakhononda ngokusemthethweni kodwa izikhalo zayo zachithwa yinhlangano eyengamele ibhola emhlabeni, iFifa, ngoDisemba.
Esinye isizathu esizokwenza lo mdlalo ube nesasasa ukuba khona konozinti abadlalela amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika nhlangothi zombili.
IGhana ibize unozinti we-Orlando Pirates, uRichard Ofori, kanti iSuper Eagles ibize uDaniel Akpeyi, ogijima kwiKaizer Chiefs. Akukacaci ukuthi labo nozinti bazosetshenziswa yini kulo mdlalo obucayi.
“Sonke silindele ukuthi iGhana ingene kwi-Ndebe yoMhlaba kodwa ngeke kube lula njengoba sidinga ukwenza konke okusemandleni ukuze sifinyelele kulo mqhudelwano,” kusho umqeqeshi weBlack Stars, u-Otto Addo, ekhasini labo kwiYouTube.
Bagcina ukubhekana kweyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ngo-2001. Umdlalo owawuse-Accra waphela zibambene ngo 0-0 ngaphambi kokuthi iNigeria inqobe ngo 3-0 ekhaya.
Umdlalo wokugcina abawudlala kwakungowobungani owawuseLondon ngo-2011, owaphela ngo 0-0.
“Ngiyawukhumbula umdlalo waseLondon, waphela ngo 0-0 kodwa wawunzima kakhulu,” kusho ukaputeni weSuper Eagles u-Ahmed Musa ekhasini leqembu kwiYouTube.
“Kufana nempi ebanjelwa enkundleni nangaphandle kwenkundla. Siyazi ukuthi lo mdlalo ngeke ube lula kakhulu kodwa kufanele sizinikele ngakho konke esinakho emdlalweni wokuqala, sibone ukuthi yini esingayithola ngaphambi kokuthi siye ekhaya.”
Kweminye imidlalo yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ezodlalwa kusasa, iDemocratic Republic of Congo izobe isekhaya neMorocco ngo-5 ntambama kanti iMali izokwamukela iTunisia ngo-7 ebusuku.
ICameroon ne-Algeria bazodudulana eDouala ngo-7 ebusuku. Izihlabani zeLiverpool, uMohamed Salah noSadio Mane, zizobhekana uma i-Egypt isidudulana neSenegal eCairo ngo-9.