IPHINI lomqeqeshi eqenjini lesizwe ebholeni lezinyawo eZambia, uMoses Sichone, lithi sesifikile isikhathi sokuthi leli qembu liqede ishobolo leminyaka lokwehluleka ukuzibekisela indawo eNdebeni yoMhlaba yeFifa.
USichone nguyena obesebhentshini leZambia, leli qemebu lizuza indebe yeCosafa Cup okwehlandla lesikhombisa ngokuguqisa iLesotho ngo 1-0 kowamanqamu walo, eKing Zwelithini Stadium, eMlaza.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi emlandweni weCosafa Cup, iZambia yiyo esinqobe lo mqhudelwano amahlandla amanigi, ilandelwa yiZimbabwe.
Ngaphandle kokukhonya kwiCosafa, iZambia yiyo esifundeni se-Afrika eseNingizimu (Cosafa) egcine ukunqoba isicoco se-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ngo-2012, ilandela iBafana Bafana eyasinqoba ngo-1996.
Kodwa phezu kwakho konke lokhu, iChipolopolo sekuphele iminyaka iphuma inqina kaMabuyaze emizamweni yokuzibekisela indawo eNdebeni yoMhlaba yeFifa, kusukela ngo-1970 okungunyaka eyaqala ngawo ukubamba iqhaza ebholeni lomhlaba.
“Sesikhombisile ukuthi siyiqembu lesizwe elikhonyayo kwiCosafa, futhi sesike sayinqoba ne-Africa Cup of Nations, manje sesisalelwe wukuthi sidlale eNdebeni yoMhlaba.
“Sesizame iminyaka eminingi siphikwa yinhlanhla. Kodwa ngikholwa wukuthi ngalesi sikwati esinaso njengamanje esixube abadlali abanamava nabasebancane, nakanjani kukhona esizobuya nakho kulokhu emidlalweni yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba,” kusho uSichone, exoxa neSolezwe Ngempelasonto ngeledlule kwiCosafa Cup, eThekwini.
Ngenkathi kuqhathwa amaqembu azodlala kweyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ngeledlule, iChipolopolo ekleliswe kuGroup E, iqhathwe neMorocco, Congo Brazzaville, Tanzania, Niger, ne-Eritrea.
“Yebo, iqoqo esiqhathwe kulo alilula uma ubheka amazwe anjengoMorocco noCongo Brazzaville esiqhathwe nawo, kodwa nginethemba elikhulu lokuthi sizokwazi ukuzibamba ziqine, siliqede nya leli shobolo eselisilandele iminyaka lokwehluleka kwethu ukungena kweyoMhlaba.
“Abadlali bethi bayakhombisa ukuthi bayilambele impumelelo futhi bayafuna ukuzakhela igama ebholeni lomhlaba, ikakhulukazi labo abasadlala emaligini asekhaya.”
Ngaphandle kwemidlalo yokuhlunga yeNdebe yoMhlaba eqala ngoNovemba, iChipolopolo izoqala ngokuyibamba kwi-Afcon ezoba se-Ivory Coast, ngoJanuwari 13 kuya kuFebhuwari 11.