AKUKHO emqondweni wenkakha yaseCroatia, uLuka Modric, ukuwagaxa emgibeni amakhokho emidlalweni yomhlaba ngoba umzimba wayo usayivumela yize bephoxwe i-Italy ngemizuzu yokugcina okwandise amathuba okuwasha ijezi ekuseni kwi-Euro 2024 eqhubeka kwelaseGermany.
UModric ugeje iphenathi waphinde washayela iCroatia igoli ehambe phambili ngalo isikhathi eside kulo mdlalo obuseRed Bull Arena, eLiepzig, ngaphambi kokuthi i-Italy ithole igoli lokulinganisa kube ngu 1-1 esikhathini sikanompempe.
ICroatia ibidinga iwini ukuze iqinisekise ukuthi iyangena kwi-Last 16 futhi bekubukeka sengathi izongena ngaphambi kokuthi uMattia Zaccagni, ayephule izinhliziyo eshayela i-Italy igoli eliqinisekise ukuthi iyona edlula neSpain kuleli qoqo.
Lo mphumela ubungagcini ngokuqinisekisa indawo ye-Italy kwi-Last 16 kepha ubumfimfisa amathuba eCroatia okudlulela esigabeni esilandelayo.
Nakuba iCroatia isendaweni yesithathu kodwa ukuqeda kwayo u-Group B inamaphuzu amabili kuyibeka engcupheni kwazise zine izindawo ezihlelelwe amazwe azoqeda enamaphuzu angcono yize esendaweni yesithathu.
Okunciphisa amathuba eCroatia ukuthi njengoba inamaphuzu amabili nje, iHungary, Austria neSlovakia bavele banamathathu ekubeni kusekhona amazwe anamaphuzu amabili kodwa asasalelwe imidlalo.
“Ngisazoqhubeka ngidlale ngoba umzimba usangivumela yize ngikuqonda ukuthi ngelinye ilanga kuyodingeka ukuthi ngiwabeke emgibeni amakhokho,” kusho uModric esithangamini nabezindaba se-Euro kwi-YouTube.
“Indlela esishaywe ngayo ibuhlungu kithina sonke ngakho-ke intshisekelo yokulungisa amaphutha isenkulu yize ngiqonda ukuthi ngeke ngidlale kuze kube phakade.
“Ngo-2008 kuyona i-Euro sikhishwe iTurkey ngendlela ethi ayifane lapho sishaye khona igoli umdlalo ususesikhathini esengeziwe kodwa yabuye yalinganisa yase isikhipha sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi.
“Kubuhlungu ukushaywa ngale ndlela ngoba ngokwethu bese sikuzame konke ebesingakuzamela izwe lethu kodwa ngemizuzu yokugcina kwashabalala konke.
“Kufanele samukele esikutholile kulo mdlalo bese sihlala ethembeni yize kusobala ukuthi sekungaba umlingo ongasihlenga,” kusho uModric.
Izolo kusongwe imidlalo yamaqoqo sekuvele kwaziwa ukuthi amazwe ahlanganisa osokhaya iGermany, Spain, England, Netherlands, France, Italy nePortugal asezibekisele izindawo kwi-Last 16 eqala ngoMgqibelo.
Imidlalo yanamuhla ye-Euro 2024:
Group E - Ngo-6pm: Slovakia v Romania; Ukraine v Belgium.
Group F - Ngo-9pm: Georgia v Portugal; Czechia v Turkiye