UKUBEKWA ebhentshini kukanozinti uVeli Mothwa emidlalweni yakamuva akusho ukuthi akumfanele ukuba seqenjini lesizwe elizodlala kwi-Africa Cup of Nations, ngokusho komqeqeshi waMaZulu FC, uPablo “ Cijimpi” Franco Martin.
UMothwa ubelokhu eyingxenye yeBafana Bafana selokhu umqeqeshi uHugo Broos athatha izintambo ngo-2021 futhi ufakiwe eqenjini labadlali abangu-23 elizomela iNingizimu Afrika kulo mqhudelwano ozoqala e-Ivory Coast ngesonto elizayo.
Ugcine ukudlalela Usuthu ngoNovemba 25 ngesikhathi lushaywa yiStellenbosch FC ngo 1-0 emdlalweni weDStv Premiership. Usehlale ebhentshini emidlalweni emine edlule, kuqaliswa u-Olwethu Mzimela (22).
Nokho, uPablo Martin uthe lokho akusho ukuthi uMothwa (32) akasekho ezingeni eliphezulu futhi naye lo mdlali uyakuqonda lokho.
“Ngijabule kakhulu ngoVeli. Ngimthumele umlayezo kusanda kumenyezelwa isikwati ngimbongela. Ngiphinde ngakhuluma naye mathupha ngimfisela inhlanhla. Ngiyazi ukuthi akadlali kule midlalo embalwa edlule kodwa ukhombise ukuba ngukaputeni wangempela,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
“Isizathu sokuthi angadlali akukona ukuthi akenzi kahle. Wenza kahle kakhulu uma sizilolonga kodwa sinqume ukunikeza omunye unozinti osemncane ithuba, unozinti oqalayo ukudlala esigabeni esiphezulu kule sizini.
“Wenza kahle kodwa kwesinye isikhathi ebholeni izinto kufanele zihambe ngendlela ethile. Uma umdlali oyedwa edlala, ngisho noma omunye enza kahle, udinga ukulinda futhi ukuze athole ithuba. Okumqoka wukuthi uVeli uzinikele ngokuphelele ngesikhathi ehlezi ebhentshini.
“Ubelokhu elikhuthaza iqembu, kucishe kufane nokuthi ungelinye iphini lomqeqeshi. Ubebakhuthaza bonke abadlali, ikakhulukazi u-Oli (Olwethu). Kusho lukhulu kimina lokho futhi yilokho engikulindele kukaputeni. Yingakho ngijabule kakhulu ngokuthi abizwe eqenjini lesizwe. Benginesiqiniseko sokuthi uzofakwa esikwatini.”
IBafana izoqala i-Afcon kuGroup E lapho iqhathwe neMali, iNamibia neTunisia. Omunye umdlali waMaZulu, uRiaan Hanamub, ufakwe eqenjini laseNamibia. IBafana neBrave Warriors bazobhekana ngoJanuwari 21.
“Sinenkinga eqenjini ngoba uHana (Riaan Hanamub) noVeli bazobhekana ngqo bebanga ukudlulela emzuliswaneni olandelayo. Kungenzeka oyedwa wabo angadluli,” usho kanje lo mqeqeshi.
“Izinhliziyo zethu zihlukene phakathi kodwa ngikhulumile noHana ngamchazela ukuthi manje sekufana nokuthi ngingowaseSpain ngiphinde ngibe ngowaseNingizimu Afrika, ngakho ngizoba ngakuVeli ngaphezu kwakhe. Ngibajabulele kakhulu bobabili futhi siyaziqhenya ngokuthi kunabadlali abaqhamuka kuMazulu abamele amaqembu abo esizwe kwi-Afcon.
“Ngifisela iNingizimu Afrika kanye nabalandeli bayo inhlanhla kulo mqhudelwano,” uphethe kanje.