UMA engagwema ukuxoshwa kusukela manje kuze kufike iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026, umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana uHugo Broos, uzozibeka ethubeni lokufaka iNingizimu Afrika kule ndumezulu yomqhudelwano aphinde ayihole kuwona.
Ngaphambi kokuthi lo mqeqeshi waseBelgium, azixake ngokucabanga ngokuzokwenzeka e-United States of America (USA), eMexico, naseCanada ngo-2026, kufanele aqale ngokukhonya kuGroup C wokuhlunga lapho kuboshelwe iBenin, Rwanda, Nigeria nomakhelwane ababili iZimbabwe, neLesotho.
IBafana izogadulisana neBenin namuhla ngo-3 ntambama eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
Izwe elizoqeda liqhwakele kuleli qoqo lizongena kweyomhlaba bese kuthi elizolala isibili liye kweyokuhlunga ezohlanganisa amanye enze ngendlela efanayo kwamanye amazwekazi.
Uma uBroos engafaka iBafana kweyoMhlaba kungabe uqopha umlando kwezebhola laseMzansi, lokhu kwagcina ukwenzeka ngo-2002. Uma egcine ehlalile ebhentshini, uzoba ngumqeqeshi wokuqala oyifake kulo mqhudelwano futhi wayicija kuwona.
Abaqashi bakaBroos, iSouth African Football Association (Safa), banomlando wokuxosha abaqeqeshi abasuke beyifake kweyomhlaba lokhu kufakazelwa okwenzeka emqhudelwaneni waseFrance (1998), nakowaseKorea/Japan (2002).
UClive ‘The Dog’ Barker ongasekho waba ngowokuqala ukufaka iBafana eNdebeni yoMhlaba, eyayiseFrance. Kepha, lowo mqhudelwano wawuzwa ngendaba uBarker ngoba kwaqashwa uPhillipe Troussier, endaweni yakhe.
Wehlelwa wumshophi ofanayo uCarlos Queiroz wasePortugal, ngemva kokufaka elakuleli eKorea/Japan, naye wakhonjwa indlela kwathi umsebenzi wathathwa nguJomo Sono.
Ngo-2010 yadlala ngenxa yokuba ngosokhaya iholwa nguCarlos Alberto Parreira waseBrazil.
Leli qembu lesizwe liqale ukuzama ukuzifaka koweNdebe yoMhlaba ngo-1994 kodwa lahluleka.
Selokhu uBroos eqalile ukukhuluma ngomdlalo wokuqala wokuhlunga, akugcizelelayo wukusebenzisa ithuba lokuzibekisela indawo.
"Kusemqoka kakhulu ukuthi singaliyeki ithuba esilinikeziwe lokuya eNdebeni yoMhlaba ngoba eminyakeni edlule, iqembu lethu lesizwe lisikhombisile ukuthi sesingalethemba ngaleli joka.
"Sesiside isikhathi iBafana ingayi koweNdebe yoMhlaba ngoba u-2010 asiwubali kwazise ubuyisipho sokusingatha," kusho uBroos ngoLwesibili ePitoli.
Ngemuva komdlalo weBenin, elakuleli lizoya eRwanda, lapho linomdlalo ngoLwesibili. Okusho ukuthi linethuba lokuqeda umzuliswano wokuqala wokuhlunga selinamaphuzu ayisithupha.
"Imqoka kakhulu le khempu kodwa inzima kimina ngoba eyeNdebe yoMhlaba yilapho sekuneminyaka ngigcine ukufaka iqembu lesizwe kuyona,“ kuchaza uBroos.
UBroos wathatha izintambo kwiBafana ngo-2021, ngemuva kokuthi uMolefi Ntseki ehlulekile wukufaka elakuleli kwi-Afcon ka-2021. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakuzoqala imidlalo yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2022 eyayiseQatar. IBafana yakhishwa yiGhana, kweyokuhlunga kulandela iphenathi eyasusa umsindo eyanikezwa amaBlack Stars, anqoba ngo 1-0 aqhwakela eqoqweni.
"Ngeke kube lula kuyona yomibili imidlalo kodwa asinawo uphawini wokuqala ngokulandela ngemuva kumbe sivume ukwehlulwa kunoma yimuphi ngoba lokhu kungasikhubaza endleleni yethu.
"IBenin neRwanda amaqembu esizwe anzima okufakazelwa yimiphumela yawo yakamuva ebhekene namazwe athathwa njengamakhulu kulona lonke izwekazi. Nakuba kunjalo kodwa kufanele siye kule midlalo ngokuzethemba,“ kusho Broos.