UKUFAKWA kwabadlali beStellenbosch eqenjini lesikhashana leBafana Bafana, kwenza uSteve Barker, akubone lokhu njengobufakazi bokuthi iqembu lakhe lingelinye lamaqembu enza kahle kuleli.
NgoLwesine umqeqeshi weqembu lesizwe, uHugo Broos, ukhiphe isikwati sabadlali abangu-50 abasethubeni lokumela elakuleli kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ezoqala ngoJanuwari e-Ivory Coast. Usenomsebenzi onzima wokusinciphisa kusale abadlali abangu-23 ngaphambi kokuqala komqhudelwano.
Bathathu abadlali beStellies abafakiwe ohlwini lokuqala, uFawaaz Basadien odlala emuva kwesokunxele, owasesiswini uJayden Adams nomgadli u-Iqraam Rayners.
UBarker uthe laba badlali ngeke baphazamiseke ngaphambi komdlalo wamanqamu weCarling Black Label Knockout abazowudlala neTS Galaxy eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngoMgqibelo ngo-3 ntambama.
“Kumnandi ukuba nabadlali abathathu eqenjini lesizwe. Ngokubazi kwami bangabadlali abahlale bezimisele. Lo mdlalo wamanqamu uyithuba lokuthi baphinde bazibonakalise. Kuyakhombisa ukuthi banalo ithuba lokuba seqenjini le-Afcon futhi nginesiqiniseko sokuthi kuyiphupho lawo wonke umdlali ukuba khona,” kusho uBarker.
“Ngikholwa wukuthi bazozimisela, benze konke okusemandleni abo. Ngethemba ukuthi lokho kuzobasiza bangene esikwatini sokugcina. Kungenzeka ukuthi kunomdlali oyedwa noma ababili eqenjini abadumele ngokuthi abekho eqenijin lesizwe kodwa ngihlezi ngibatshela ukuthi akukho okudlula ukuzimisela uze ugcine ukhethiwe.”
IStellies ayisazi isibhaxu emidlalweni eyisishiyagalolunye yakamuva emiqhudelwaneni ehlukene. Inqobe eyisishiyagalombili yadlala ngokulingana kowodwa. UBarker ukholwa wukuthi lo mgqigqo omuhle yiwona owenze abadlali babo baze bagqama nasemehlweni kaBroos.
“Angicabangi ukuthi ngabe sinabadlali abathathu eqenjini lesizwe ukube besingenzi kahle, saze sangena nakowamanqamu eCarling. Kuyasiza uma iqembu liphumelela, lidlala kahle futhi likwenza lokho imidlalo ilandelana.
“Besekunesikhathi uBasadien efanelwe yileli ithuba. Ungumdlali oseqophelweni eliphezulu, ikakhulukazi indlela akhahlela ngayo ibhola, nendlela aphasa ngayo. URayners akalibheki ipali, noma ngabe uwuqalile umdlalo, noma esuka ebhentshini. Kumfanele ukubizwa kwelesizwe. Ngingasho okufanayo nangoJayden okwazile ukugcina izinga lomdlalo wakhe liphezulu emidlalweni eminingi, nokuyinto enkulu kumdlali osemncane.
“Uma iqembu lenza kahle kuba lula ukuthi abadlali banakwe. Kubonakele ngeMamelodi Sundowns esinenqwaba yabadlali eqenjini lesizwe ngenxa yempumelelo yayo. Kubalulekile ukuthi amaqembu aphumelele ukuze avulele abadlali amathuba.”