LIGABE ngesipiliyoni sokudlala emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu yakamuva iqembu lesizwe lebhola labesifazane lakuleli njengoba selizoqala imidlalo yamaqoqo kwiFifa Women’s World Cup eqale izolo e-Australia naseNew Zealand.
IBanyana Banyana izobe idlala okwesibili eNdebeni yoMhlaba njengoba yangena okokuqala kweyayiseFrance ngo-2019. Yabuya nezifundo ezinzima kulowo mqhudelwano ikhala ngaphansi kathathhu ibhekene neSpain, China neGermany.
Yathola igoli elilodwa elashaywa nguThembi Kgatlana ngesikhathi ijeziswa yiSpain ngo 3-1, yangenelwa ngamagoli ayisishiyagalombili uma sekubalwa nemidlalo lapho yadliwa khona yiChina ngo 1-0 neGermany ngo 4-0.
Umqeqeshi uDesiree Ellis uzigcinile izinsika zeqembu eladlala kulowo mqhudelwano njengoba bengu-13 ababekhona abayingxenye yaleli qembu elilungiselela ukubhekana neSweden, Argentina ne-Italy kuGroup G.
Uphinde wakhombisa ukubathemba abadlali abasize iNingizimu Afrika yanqoba iWomen’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) okokuqala ngqa eMorocco nyakenye ngokufaka abangu-18 eqenjini elizodlala eNdebeni yoMhlaba.
IBanyana, ekleliswe endaweni ka-54 emhlabeni, izoqala lo mqhudelwano ngokubhekana neSweden eWellington Regional Stadium, eNew Zealand, ngeSonto ngo-7 ekuseni.
IBlagult iyiqembu elaziwayo kulo mqhudelwano njengoba lalala isibili ngo-2003, laphinde lathola izindondo zethusi kathathu, ngo-1991, 2011 nango-2019. U-Ellis uthe uyakuqonda ukubaluleka kokwenza kahle emdlalweni wokuqala.
“Konke kuncike emdlalweni wokuqala ngoba ngemuva kwalowo mdlalo uyakwazi ukuhlela ukuthi ufuna ukuyidlala kanjani imidlalo yamaqoqo esele. Ngo-2019 sasiwuhlelele umdlalo wokuqala kodwa ngeshwa izinto zangasihambela kahle usuyophela,” kusho u-Ellis kwi-website yeFifa.
“Sinesipiliyoni seminyaka emine manje futhi iqembu selivuthwe kakhulu. Abadlali bethu badlala ibhola eliphezulu, ikakhulukazi laba abadlala phesheya.”
Omunye walabo badlali nguHildah Magaia, owaba yiqhawe ngokuhlohla amagoli amabili iBanyana idlula kwiMorocco ngo 2-1 kowamanqamu weWafcon. Lo mgadli ogijima kwiSejong Sportstoto yaseSouth Korea, uthe bahlose ukuthatha okuhle abakwenza eMorocco bakhele phezu kwakho.
“Nginemizwa engafani, nginovalo kodwa futhi sengiwujahile umqhudelwano. Ngiwubheke ngabomvu umdlalo wokuqala ukuze ngibone ukuthi kunjani ukudlala kulo mqhudelwano omkhulukazi,” kusho uMagaia, owayengekho eNdebeni yoMhlaba ka-2019.
“Engikuthathe kwiWafcon wukuthi singaqhubeka lapho sagcina khona kodwa sinyuse umfutho ngoba izinga alifani. Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele siye kulo mdlalo sinomqondo omuhle futhi singathuswa wukuthi iSweden ikleliswe phezulu kunathi.”
Ngaphandle kukaMagaia, iBanyana ihlome ngabanye abagadli ababukhali, uKgatlana noJermaine Seoposenwe, okubhekwe ukuthi babambisane phambili. Esiswini izobe ithembele kukaputeni uRefiloe Jane nabadlali abalihlikihlayo njengoLinda Motlhalo noNoxolo Cesane.
Amaqembu aqhathwe neBanyana kuGroup G
I-Sweden:
(esendaweni yesithathu emhlabeni)
Isiteketiso: Blagult
Umqeqeshi: Peter Gerhardsson
Ukaputeni: Caroline Seger
Abadlali abayingozi: Madelen Janogy, Fridolina Rolfo, Stina Blackstenius
I-Argentina:
(esendaweni ka-28 emhlabeni)
Isiteketiso: La Albiceleste
Umqeqeshi: German Potanova
Ukaputeni: Vanina Correa
Abadlali abayingozi: Mariana Larroquette, Estefania Banini, Yamila Rodriguez
I-Italy:
(esendaweni ka-16 emhlabeni)
Isiteketiso: Le Azzurre
Umqeqeshi: Milena Bertolini
Ukaputeni: Sara Gama
Abadlali abayingozi: Valentina Cernoia, Cristiana Girelli, Arianna Caruso