UMQEQESHI weBenin, uGernot Rohr, uthembisa ukuthi iqembu lakhe lizolwa ngakho konke elinakho uma selibhekene neBafana Bafana kweyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba nakuba lizosebenzisa inqwaba yabadlali abangakaqini ukhakhayi.
IBenin izovakashela iBafana ngoMgqibelo, eMoses Mabhida Stadium, ngo-3 ntambama.
URohr odabuka eGermany, uqokwe njengomqeqeshi weqembu lesizwe laseBenin ngoFebhuwari, ethatha izintambo kuMoussa Latoundji, obeyibamba kusukela nyakenye.
Phambilini, useke wapheka amaqembu esizwe aseGabon, Niger, Burkina Faso neNigeria kanjalo namakilabhu ase-Europe iBordeaux, Nice namanye.
Selokhu ethathe leli qembu eliteketiswa ngeLes Guépards (Cheetahs), ubelokhu ebadiliza kancane kancane abadlali asebekhulile, efaka abasebancane, iningi labo elidlala kumaligi ahlukene ase-Europe.
Ngesikhathi eqoka isikwati esizobhekana neBafana, uphinde washiya ngaphandle umakadebona uStephane Sessegnon (39) obekunguyena obeshayela leli zwe amagoli eminyakeni edlule.
Selizobheka abadlali abafana nokaputeni uSteve Mounie, odlalela iStade Brest kwiligi ephezulu eFrance, uJodel Doussou ogijima kwiSochaux noJunior Olaitan okwiTroyes, bobabili abasesigabeni sesibili eFrance, ukuthi kube yibona abagqamayo phambili.
“Kuyinselelo enzima kodwa ethokozisayo. Nganikezwa umsebenzi wokuvuselela iqembu elase lifinyelele emaphethelweni ohambo ngabadlali abacela eminyakeni engu-40 ubudala. Kusukela ngoMashi, asikabi naso isikhathi esanele sokwakha iqembu eliqinile. Ngicabanga ukuthi sisadinga isikhathi esengeziwe kodwa nginesiqiniseko sokuthi abadlali abancane bayathembisa,” kusho uRohr etshela i-website iMega Sports Media.
IBenin ngeke ibonakale kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ezodlalelwa e-Ivory Coast kusukela ngoJanuwari njengoba ilhulekile ukuzibekisela indawo. Yaqeda kuGroup L endaweni yesithathu ngamaphuzu amahlanu kweyokuhlunga ngemuva kweSenegal neMozambique. Kuleli qoqo yanqoba umdlalo owodwa, iqumba phansi iRwanda ngo 3-0, yadlala ngokulingana kwemibili, yahlulwa kwemithathu.
Leli zwe elisondelene neTogo, iNigeria neBurkina Faso entshonalanga nezwekazi i-Afrika, alikaze lilubhade eNdebeni yoMhlaba kodwa selidlale kwi-Afcon izikhawu ezine, ngo-2004, 2008, 2010 nango-2019.
Ngo-2004, laliseqoqweni elilodwa neBafana, kwathi sebebhekene kwanqoba elakuleli ngo 2-0, ngamagoli aqhamuka kuSiyabonga Nomvethe.
URohr uthe nakuba iBafana ithwelwe ngeqoma ukuthi inqobe ngoMgqibelo kodwa bahlose ukuyigijimisa. Amanye amaqembu abazobanga nawo kuGroup C yiLesotho, Rwanda, Nigeria neZimbabwe.
“Akulindelekile ukuthi siyishaye iNingizimu Afrika kodwa siyakuthanda lokho ngoba kusinika ithuba lokumangaza abantu. Inhloso wukuba nomdlalo omuhle. Uma sidlala ibhola elihle, sizoba nethuba elingcono lokuthola umphumela omuhle. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi alukho olutheni olubhekwe kithina kodwa sizokwenza konke esingakwenza ukuze sithole umphumela omuhle,” usho kanje.
“Siyazi ukuthi kuleli qoqo lamaqembu ayisithupha mabili okubhekwe ukuthi aphume phambili, okuyiNigeria neNingizimu Afrika, ngemuva kwalokho kunamaqembu amane acishe abe sezingeni elifanayo. Kukhona okuzokwenzeka okuzomangaza. Kufanele sithathe amaphuzu aphele uma sesibhekene neRwanda, Lesotho neZimbabwe ukuze siqhudelane nala maqembu amabili aqinile.”
Yize iBafana ikhethe ukubamba ikhempu yayo ePitoli, bese itheleka eThekwini ngoLwesihlanu, iqembu laseBenin lihlanganele eThekwini njengoba iningi labadlali balo lifikele khona ngeSonto nangoMsombuluko.
Lizoqhubeka nokuzinza eThekwini njengoba olandelayo neLesotho nawo uzobanjelwa eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngoLwesibili ngo-3 ntambama. Lo mdlalo uzothathwa njengowasekhaya weLesotho kodwa uzodlalelwa kuleli njengoba bengenayo inkundla egunyazwe ukusingatha imidlalo yaleli zinga.
Iqembu leBenin:
Onozinti: Saturnin Allagbé (Dijon, France), Marcel Dandjinou (JDR Stars, South Africa), Serges Obassa (AS Cotonou, Benin)
Izitobha: Rodrigue Fassinou (Loto Popo), Cédric Hountondji (Angers, France), David Kiki (Farul Constanta, Romania), Rachid Moumini (Ayéma, Benin), Tamimou Ouorou (Hatta, United Arab Emirates), Rabiou Sankamao (ASPAC,Benin), Mohamed Tijani (Yverdon Sport, Switzerland), Olivier Verdon (Ludogorets Razgrad, Bulgaria), Yohan Roche (Quevilly-Rouen Metropole, France)
Abasesiswini: Mattéo Ahlinvi (FK Cukaricki, Serbia), Sessi d’Almeida (Pau, France), Dodo Dokou (Smouha, Egypt), Imourane Hassan (Future FC, Egypt), Rodrigue Kossi (Al Taraji, Saudi Arabia), Junior Olaitan (Troyes, France), Cèbio Soukou (Bandirmaspor, Turkey)
Abagadli: Jodel Dossou (Sochaux, France), Prince Ricardo Dossou (ASVO, Benin), Chabel Gomez (Samgurali, Georgia), Andréas Hountondji (Rodez, France), Steve Mounié (Stade Brest, France), Steve-Waren Traoré (Lokomotiv Sofia, Bulgaria).