ISIHLABANI somdlali wase-Argentina, uLionel Messi, sikufanise nokuphuma kweva ebelijulile enyameni ukudla isicoco seCopa America neqembu lesizwe.
I-Argentina inqobe indebe yokuqala esigabeni esikhulu kusukela ngo-1993, ngesikhathi iguqisa iBrazil ngo 1-0 kowamanqamu izolo.
Nakuba igoli lokunqoba kowamanqamu obuseMaracana Stadium, eRio de Janeiro, livalelwe u-Angel di Maria, uMessi udlale indima enkulu kulo mqhudelwano.
Ukuhlohla kwakhe amagoli amane nokwakha ayisihlanu, kwenze wahlomula ngendondo yokushaya amagoli amaningi kunabo bonke, waphinde waqokwa njengomdlali ovelele.
Bese kuyinjwayelo ukuthi abonakale ekhihla isililo kule miqhudelwano emikhulu, njengoba kwenzeka behlulwa kowamanqamu kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ngo-2014, bedliwa iGermany.
Kwenzeka okufanayo kathathu kwiCopa America behlulwa kowamanqamu ngo-2007, ngo-2015 nango-2016.
"Akukholakali, ngijabule ngendlela engachazeki. Bekufanele ligcine liphumile iva lokunganqobi neqembu lesizwe. Sekukaningi ngiphoxeka kodwa benginethemba lokuthi kuyogcina kulungile," kusho uMessi kwi-website ebika ngeqembu lase-Argentina, iMundo Albiceleste.
"Bengilithembile iqembu lethu eselidlondlobele kakhulu uma uqhathanisa nomqhudelwano owedlule. Sinabadlali abazimiselayo futhi abangakhonondi ngalutho.
"Siqophe umlando, hhayi ngokuthatha isicoco kuphela kodwa siphinde sayidlela ekhaya iBrazil. Ngiyaziqhenya kakhulu ngozakwethu, ikusasa leliqembu lesizwe lisemahlombe abo.
"Le ndebe siyinqobele nalabo engidlale nabo ngaphambilini kodwa sahluleka sesiseduze. Ngiyethemba nabo bajabule kakhulu lapho bekhona."
Sekubhekwe ukuthi uMessi uzothatha siphi isinqumo ngekusasa lakhe njengoba inkontileka yakhe neqembu laseSpain, iBarcelona, iphele ngoJuni 30. Usehlale iminyaka engu-21 kuleli qembu.
IBarcelona ibhekene nenkinga yokushoda kwemali yokumelana namaholo aphezulu abadlali. Isanda kusayinisa uSergio Aguero, Eric Garcia noMemphis Depay, ebathole bhusende njengoba bese bephelelwe izinkontileka namaqembu abo.