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UZIFAKE emabhukwini omlando omqoka ebholeni laseMzansi umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, uHugo Broos, oyihole yazibekisela indawo emqhudelwaneni i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ezoba eMorocco ngo-2025.
IBafana ithole ithikithi lokuya kwi-Afcon ingakangeni enkundleni emdlalweni eyehlule kuwona i-Uganda, eMandela National Stadium, eKampala, ngoMgqibelo ntambama. UThapelo Morena noPatrick Maswanganyi bashayele elakuleli amagoli esiwombeni sesibili.
IBafana, esihlezi esicongweni kuGroup K ngamaphuzu angu-11, ibhekane ne-The Cranes eseyehlele endaweni yesibili ngayishumi, isikhululekile emuva kokwenzelwa umsebenzi yiSouth Sudan ehlule iCongo Brazzaville ebisenethuba lokufica elakuleli ngamaphuzu. Lokhu kusho ukuthi iBafana ne-Uganda yiwona amazwe amabili azoqeda phezulu kuGroup K, adlulele kwi-Afcon.
Ngokufaka iBafana kwi-Afcon, uBroos uqophe umlando wokuba ngumqeqeshi wokuqala ofake uMzansi kulo mqhudelwano kabili kulandelana. Akekho umqeqeshi onaleli rekhodi kusukela iBafana yaqala ukungena emidlalweni yamazwe ngo-1992. UBroos uhole iNingizimu Afrika yabuya nendondo yethusi kwi-Afcon ebidlalelwa e-Ivory Coast, ekuqaleni konyaka. Kwenzeke lokhu emuva kweminyaka engu-24 iBafana yagcina ukubuya kukhona ekuphethe kwi-Afcon. Yagcina ithole indondo yethusi ngo-2000 emqhudelwaneni owawuseNigeria.
UBroos ufaka iNingizimu Afrika kwi-Afcon nje, ubekubeke kwacaca ukuthi uma ehluleka ukwenza lokhu uzowushiya umsebenzi, aphindele ekhaya eBelgium. Ukwenza kahle kweBafana, kuholele ekutheni yenyuke ezilinganisweni zeCaf, nezeFifa. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ngoJulayi uma sekuqathwa amaqembu azogadulisana kwi-Afcon, iBafana izobalwa namaqembu aphezulu e-Afrika, azofakwa kuPot 1.
Kowe-Uganda, iBafana iqale umdlalo ngegiya eliphezulu, ikhombisa ukuzinza ngokushesha kodwa ibihluleka ukuhlangana kahle uma isifike phambili. Unozinti we-Uganda, u-Ismael Watenga ovimbela iLamontville Golden Arrows eMzansi, ubegcina ngokucosha amabhola agingqikayo. Bekungesifanayo koweBafana, uRonwen Williams, ongavimbanga lutho esiwombeni sokuqala.
Esiwombeni sesibili, iBafana ibuye yaqhubeka nokuhlasela. Ngomzuzu ka-49 kuyilungele ngesikhathi uMorena, obesanda kungena endaweni ka-Elias Mokwana, elibeka enethini kulandela iphutha labadlali basemuva be-Uganda. Emuva kwaleli goli, i-Uganda izamile ukwenyusa izinga igquqguzelwa ngabalandeli kodwa iBafana ibingafuni lutho emuva. Ngomzuzu ka-80, u-Iqraam Rayners wehlulekile ukujezisa i-Uganda ngemuva kokuthi uWatenga ekhahlele ibhola laqonda kuyena, walishaya laphuma eceleni kwepali esebhokisini. Ngomzuzu ka-89, uMaswanganyi ushayele iBafana igoli lesibili emuva kwebhola aliphaselwe nguRayners.
Emdlalweni wokugcina wokuhlungela i-Afcon, ngoLwesibili ngo-6 ebusuku iBafana izokwamukela iSouth Sudan eCape Town Stadium, eKapa.