IBAFANA Bafana isesimweni esifanele ngokomqondo ukubhekana neTunisia, emdlalweni wanamuhla omqoka weGroup E we-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) esingena kuvuthondaba e-Ivory Coast.
Lokhu kuvezwe ngumdlali wasemuva, uGrant Kekana nomqeqeshi, uHugo Broos, abebenesithangami nabezindaba izolo lapho bebegeqa khona amagula ngezinhlelo zalo mdlalo, ozoba ngo-7 ebusuku e-Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, eKorhogo.
IBafana inethuba lokuzifaka kwi-last 16 ye-Afcon ngokunqoba iTunisia eza kulo mdlalo nayo imelwe wukunqoba noma kanjani, kwazise uma yehluleka izoliwasha ekuseni ijezi, yize inomlando wokudla lesi sicoco ngo-2004.
UKekana ubalwa namaqhawe emdlaweni weBafana neNamibia, ewunqobe ngo 4-0 ngeSonto, okuyiwona futhi obuyise ithemba eqenjini likaBroos eliqale ngokuhlulwa yiMali ngo 2-0.
IMali ibambane neTunisia kowayo wesibili kanti leli qembu elibhekene neBafana liqale ngokushaywa yiNamibia ngo 1-0. IMali, ezobhekana neNamibia, ihlezi phezulu kuGroup E futhi yiyona kuphela enesiqiniseko sokuthi isingenile kwiLast 16.
Kusengenzeka noma yini kuleli qoqo kodwa uKekaka akangabazi ngokufanele bakwenze futhi akubona kozakwabo kubaqinisa idolo.
“Wonke umuntu okhona ekhempini uvuselelekile ngenxa yomphumela odlule futhi sonke siwulindele, siwulungele umdlalo weTunisia,” kusho uKekana esithangamini ebesihlelwe yi-CAF.
“Ukuzethemba kuphezulu kithina sonke kodwa siyaqonda ukuthi sibhekene nelinye lamaqembu esizwe amakhulu e-Afrika.
“Akekho kithina ozimisele ngokuwasha ijezi ekuseni, kumbe ukubuyela ekhaya, ngakho-ke sizokwenza konke okusemandlani ukuthi sithola umphumela odingekayo,” kuthembisa isitobha seMamelodi Sundowns.
IBafana imelwe wukugwema ukushaywa bese ifeza iphupho likaBroos.
“Isihibe sokuqala bekuwukudlulela kweye-Last 16 ngakho-ke siyazi ukuthi sisethubeni lokuzifa ngomphumela omuhle koweTunisia,” kusho uBroos.
“Ngeke silenze iphutha lokubuka isitha sethu esilandelayo ngomphumela esiwuthole kwiNamibia ngoba ibuye yavela iTunisa yangempela sebebhekene neMali.
Siyazi ukuthi umdlalo uzoba nzima kodwa lokhu singakuguqula uma singenza okufanele ngesikhathi esifanele,” kusho uBroos.
Uma iBafana idlulela kwi-Last 16, izojoyina amanye amazwe asevele azibekisele indawo, okukhona kuwona i-Equitorial Guinea, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Egypt namanye. Nge-Afcon ka-2019, iBafana yakhishwa yiNigeria kuma-quarterfinal.
“Ukuzethemba kuphezulu ekhempini ngenxa yomphumela weNamibia, ngakho-ke sizimisele ukuqhubeka ngomgqigqo ofanayo. Okokuqala ukuqinisekisa ukuthi asehlulwa kulo mdlalo ngoba lokho kukodwa kwanele. Kufanele sidlalele ukuwina ngoba ngeke sazi ukuthi kuzokwenzekani kweminye imidlalo ethinta iqoqo lethu,” kuphetha uBroos.