SEKUYISIKHATHI sokuthi iqembu lamanje lesizwe lebhola labesifazane lifeze iphupho lokudlala kuma-Olympic. Lokhu kushiwe umdlali wasesiswini weBanyana Banyana, uKholosa Biyana.
IBanyana izoqala umshikashika wokulwela indawo kuma-Olympic azobanjelwa eParis, eFrance, ngonyaka ozayo. Azobhekana neDemocratic Republic of Congo emzuliswaneni wesibili weyokuhlunga.
Umlenze wokuqala uzobanjelwa eStade des Martyrs, eKinshasa, namuhla ngo-4.30 ntambama; owesibili udlalelwe e-Orlando Stadium ngoMosombuluko, ngo-3 ntambama.
Iqembu elizonqoba lizodlulela emzuliswaneni olandelayo lapho lizodudulana khona nelizonqoba phakathi kweTanzania neBotswana.
Nakuba ezika-Desiree Ellis zingompetha bezwekazi i-Afrika ngemuva kokudla isicoco seWomen’s Africa Cup of Nations eMorocco, nyakenye, zaphinde zafika kwi-Last 16 eNdebeni yoMhlaba ebise-Australia naseNew Zealand nonyaka, uBiyana ukubona kuwumthwalo ukuthi abakwazanga ukuba yingxenye yama-Olympic ayebanjelwe eTokyo, eJapan, ngo-2021.
IBanyana ihlangane ngeSonto yalibangisa eDRC ngalolo suku. Kuzomele isheshe ukujwayela izimo ezodlala ngaphansi kwazo, ikakhulukazi njengoba inkundla okuzodlalelwa kuyona inotshani bokwenziwa.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kungaba yinto enhle ngoba kwesinye isikhathi zidlala ezinkundleni ezingekho esimweni esihle kwiligi yasekhaya. Ukudlala otshanini bokwenziwa kungenzeka kube yinto enhle kodwa kufanele sizijwayeze nesimo sezulu ngoba kuyashisa. Abanye bethu bakujwayele ukushisa ngakho ngicabanga ukuthi sizowulungela umdlalo,” kusho uBiyana ethimbeni leSafa labezindaba.
“Sikhuthazeke kakhulu ngoba asizange singene kuma-Olympic akamuva. Kwaba buhlungu kithina futhi iningi labadlali elalikhona lisekhona namanje. Ngicabanga ukuthi sonke sinenhloso yokufeza leli phupho. Sike saya kwiWafcon naseNdebeni yoMhlaba, senza kahle. Kubalulekile ukuthi siqhubeke nalowo mgqigqo.”
IBanyana yangena kuma-Olympic ayeseLondon ngo-2012, ngesikhathi iqeqeshwa nguJoseph Mkhonza, nakuma-Olympic aseRio ngo-2016, ngesikhathi icijwa nguVera Pauw.
Nakuba umqeqeshi obambe izintambo njengamanje, uDesiree Ellis, esezuze okuningi naleli qembu, usenesikweletu sokulifaka kuma-Olympic.
“Siwubheke ngabomvu umdlalo. Kuyashisa impela kodwa sizobe siwulungele umdlalo. Sesike sahamba sekusele isikhathi esincane kodwa safika sadlala phambilini,” ubeke kanje u-Ellis.
“Abadlali abaningi bayazana ngoba sebedlale isikhathi esiningi ndawonye futhi bake baqhudelane kumaligi ehlukene. Zimbalwa izinto okufanele siziqondise. Njengoba sizobe sidlala ekuhambeni kusemqoka ukuthi siqale kahle futhi sithole umphumela omuhle ukuze sizinciphisele umsebenzi uma sesidlala ekhaya.”
Le midlalo emibili ne-DRC izophinde isetshenziselwe ukuvalelisa owayengukaputeni uJanine van Wyk, osezoyeka ukudlalela iqembu lesizwe. UVan Wyk ufakiwe eqenjini leBanyana kanti uma engena enkundleni kuyo yomibili imidlalo uzofinyelela kwengu-185, abe ngumdlali wase-Afrika odlale imidlalo eminingi kunabo bonke eqenjini lesizwe.