Umqeqeshi okuyiqembu lakhe elinabadlali abaningi ukubedlula bonke kwawesizwe abanga isicoco se-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), eqhubeka kwelase-Ivory Coast, uRhulani Mokwena weMamelodi Sundowns, ubhoboka ngafisa kwenzeke kulo mqhudelwano ozoze uphele ngoFebhuwari 10.
I-Afcon okungeyehlandla lika-34 iqale ngoMgqibelo, kwelase-Ivory Coast lapho iqembu lesizwe lasekhaya lijabulise abalandeli linqoba ngo 2-0 kwiGuinea-Bissau.
Nakuba uMokwena enawo amazwe awathipha ukuba ahambe ibanga elide kwi-Afcon kodwa unesifiso sokuthi owamanqamu ugqishe ngabadlali abaphekwe kompetha be-African Football League (AFL).
“Linzima iqoqo (Group E) iBafana efakwe kulona kodwa ngoba ngingowaseNingizimu Afrika, inhliziyo yami ihamba neBafana,” kusho uMokwena ethimbeni labezindaba leSundowns.
“Ngaphandle kwalokhu, iSundowns inenqwaba yabadlali kwiBafana ngakho-ke ngiyabafisela ukuthi benze kahle ikakhulukazi njengoba bezobe besemehlweni omhlaba okuhlanganisa neNamibia ngenxa kaPeter (Shalulile).
“Ngiyazi ukuthi akhona futhi maningi amanye amazwe anethuba elingcono lokudla lesi sicoco kodwa isifiso sami ukubona owamanqamu phakathi kweBafana neNamibia.
“Kuyaphoqa ukuthi ngicheme namaqembu esizwe abunjwe ngabadlali beSundowns ngoba ngihlala nabo nsukuzonke ngakho-ke ngibafisela okuhle.
“Ngenxa yalokhu, nginephupho lokubona iBafana igadulisana nomakhelwane iNamibia kowamanqamu,” kuqhuba uMokwena oqashwe yi-SABC njengomhlaziyi njengoba kuqhubeka i-Afcon.
Ngokwalo mqeqeshi ongayazi induku kwiDStv Premiership kusukela ngesizini edlule, iNigeria uyayithipha ngoba inabadlali beqophelo lomhlaba.
“INigeria ihlale inzima ngenxa yabadlali bayo kanti iMorocco iya kulo mqhudelwano inesithunzi ngenxa yalokhu ekwenze koweNdebe yoMhlaba ebiseQatar ngo-2022.
“Sihle nesikwati seMorocco ngoba nayo isebenzisa kakhulu abadlali bamaqembu aphesheya kwezilwandle ikakhulukazi e-Europe. Ibanga abalihambe eQatar libabeka namanye amaqembu abhekiwe kwi-Afcon.
“Umlando we-Egypt eholwa, uMo (Mohamed Salah), akuyona into engashaywa indiva ngakho-ke nayo inethuba ngendlela efanayo neGhana ehlale ihamba ibanga elide kwi-Afcon).
“Kungaba iphutha ukukhohlwa iqembu lesizwe okuyilona elivikela isicoco, iSenegal eholwa uSadio Mane,” kuphetha uMokwena.