UMQEQESHI weStellenbosch FC, uSteve Barker, ukholwa wukuthi abadlali beMamelodi Sundowns bengayithwala iBafana Bafana emqhudelwaneni i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
IBafana izoqala amalungiselelo e-Afcon ezoqala ngoJanuwari 13 kuya kuFebhuwari 11 e-Ivory Coast. Ifakwe kuGroup E neMali, Tunisia neNamibia. Iqembu lakuleli lizovula neMali ngoJanuwari 16. Ngemuva kokuthi umqeqeshi weBafana, uHugo Broos, ememezele isikwati sakhe se-Afcon, kukhona iqeqebane elithile elimgxeke ngokugcwalisa abadlali beSundowns.
Esikwatini sikaBroos sabadlali abangu-23, bangu-10 abeSundowns engompetha beligi futhi esanda kuphakamisa indebe ye-African Football League (AFL). Laba badlali nguRonwen Williams, Grant Kekana, Katlego Modiba, Terrence Mashego, Khuliso Mudau, Mothobi Mvala, Tebogo Mokoena, Thapelo Morena, Thapelo Maseko noThemba Zwane.
“Kufanele sileseke iqembu leBafana Bafana. Ekugcineni umqeqeshi uthatha izinqumo zakhe. Ngicabanga ukuthi yiqembu elihle, ikakhulukazi abadlali abangu-11 abazoqala umdlalo. Bayiqembu eliqinile. Ngicabanga ukuthi ukuba nabadlali abaningi kangaka beSundowns eqenjini abenza kahle ezwenikazi, ngibona ukuthi sizokusebenzisa (kuzosisiza). Ngibona ukuthi sizokwenza kahle kule Afcon. Singafinyelela ezigabeni zokugcina zomqhudelwano. Ngakho kufanele simeseke umqeqeshi. Bakhona abadlali abambalwa ngeshwa abangangenanga esikwatini kodwa ekugcineni naye (umqeqeshi) uqoka abadlali abebevele bekhona futhi abethembayo,” kusho uBarker.
Kubadlali abagqamile beBafana abasale ngaphandle kukhona umgadli uBongokuhle Hlongwane odlalela iMinnesota United yase-USA. Abanye abalandeli ezinkundleni zokuxhumana bakhale ngokusala ngaphandle kwabagadli abahamba phambili ngamagoli kwiDStv Premiership okukhona kubona u-Iqraam Rayners weStellenbosch noKhanyisa Mayo weCape Town City.
Eqenjini likaBarker kuqokwe umdlali wasesiswini osemncane, uJaeden Adams, ongomunye wabashaya into ecokeme kule sizini. U-Adams uqokwe njengomdlali ovelele ngesikhathi iStellenbosch iphendukela esiswini njengotshwala i-Orlando Pirates emdlalweni weDStv Premiership egcine iwunqobe ngo 3-2 ngempelasonto edlule.
“Sonke siyamjabulela u-Adams. Kubonakele esiwombeni sesibili ukuthi kungani esesikwatini seBafana Bafana. Usukumile waphatha ibhola, wasenza sadlala. Bekungelinye lamaqhinga ethu ukumhlehlisa kancane, adlale njengonombolo 6 ngoba uyakhululeka uma ephethe ibhola. Simfisela okuhle,” kusho uBarker.