UKUNGABIBIKHO kwabadlali abawumgogodla weqembu kuholele ekutheni babhekane nobunzima eNdebeni yoMhlaba, ikakhulukazi kwiLast 16, ngokusho komdlali wasemuva weSenegal, uKalidou Koulibaly.
I-Lions of Teranga iphumile esigabeni samaqoqo ngokuqeda endaweni yesibili kuGroup A, ekubeni ingene kulo mqhudelwano nezindaba ezimbi zokuthi ukaputeni, uSadio Mane, ngeke esakwazi ukuba yingxenye yawo ngenxa yokulimala emlenzeni.
Kweyamaqoqo ivule ngesibhaxu sika-2-0 esithole kwiNetherlands kodwa ngaphezu kwalokho, igqemeke enye ingozi ngesikhathi kulimala umdlali wasesiswini, uCheikhou Kouyate.
Kowesibili, iqembu lika-Aliou Cisse livuke lathatha amaphuzu amathathu liguqisa osokhaya iQatar, ngo-3-1 ngaphambi kokuthi lithlele phansi i-Ecuador ngo-2-1.
ILions of Teranga ingene emdlalweni weLast 16 ngaphandle kwenjini yayo yasesiswini u-Idrissa Gueye, obemiswe umdlalo owodwa ngenxa yokuthola amakhadi amabili aphuzu kweyamaqoqo.
Lokhu kuholele ekutheni kuvuleke izikhala esiswini, yagcina inqontshwe yi-England ngo-3-0 ngeSonto, e-Al Bayt Stadium.
"Sibe nomqhudelwano omuhle. Besifuna ukudlula esigabeni samaqoqo, sakwenza lokho. Sihlulwe ngelinye lamaqembu aphambili emhlabeni kodwa singaziqhenya ngesikwenzile," kusho uKoulibaly etshela i-website yeFifa.
"Akulula ukwamukela ukuhlulwa kodwa i-England idlale kangcono kunathi. Ingene ihlome ngabo bonke abadlali bayo kanti thina besishoda ngabadlali abamqoka.
"Kudingeke ukuthi sidlale umqhudelwano wonke ngaphandle kukaSadio. Phezu kwalokho, silahlekelwe uCheikhou no-Idrissa. Kuba nzima ukubhekana neqembu elisezingeni eliphezulu ningaphelele.
"Kodwa kulo mqhudelwano sikhombisile ukuthi siyiqembu eliqinile. Sizoqhubeka nokuya phambili, sithuthuke, futhi sizobuya ngamandla eNdebeni yoMhlaba ka-2026."
UKoulibaly uqhube wathi i-England isethubeni elihle lokunqoba lo mqhudelwano yize izobhekana nelinye lamaqembu athwelwe ngeqoma, iFrance, kuma-quarterfinal ngoMgqibelo.
I-Three Lions isayiphakamise kanye iNdebe yoMhlaba, iguqisa iWest Germany ngo-4-2 eLondon, ngo-1966.
"I-England idlala kahle kakhulu. Siyazi ukuthi inenqwaba yabadlali abasezingeni eliphezulu, abaziwa emhlabeni wonke. Okwamanje baseza kahle kakhulu, bangaya kude kodwa umdlalo olandelayo neFrance uzoba nzima.
"Zizobulalana kulowo mdlalo kodwa ngiyethemba ukuthi iqembu elingcono yilona elizodlula. Akulula ukuqagela imiphumela yemidlalo yeNdebe yoMhlaba. Ungashaya amagoli amaningi emdlalweni owodwa bese kuba nzima ukuwashaya kolandelayo."
I-France ibheke ukunqoba iNdebe yoMhlaba kulandelana okwagcina ngeBrazil ngo-1958 nango-1962.
Elinye iqembu elake lasivikela lesi sicoco i-Italy, eyasinqoba ngo-1934 nango-1938.