IBafana Bafana izoqala uhambo lwayo kwi-Africa Cup of Nations neMali namuhla ngo-10 ebusuku, eKorhogo, imelwe ukuqeda ishobolo leminyaka engu-20 yagcina ukuqoqa amaphuzu amathathu emdlalweni wokuqala wale ndumezulu yomqhudelwano.
Ompetha base-Afrika bango-1996, bavula neMali e-Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, emdlalweni weGroup E okuboshelwe kuwona iTunisia neNamibia.
IBafana eholwa, nguHugo Broos, iya kulo mqhudelwano ingabalwa namazwe athishiwe ukudla isicoco okudalwa wumlando wayo wakamuva kulo mqhudelwano.
Ngaphandle kokudla i-Afcon eyayiseNingizimu Afrika ngo-1996 nokulala isibili kweyango-1998, eBurkina Faso, awumuhle umlando weBafana kulo mqhudelwano ikakhulukazi emidlalweni yokuvula.
IBafana yagcina ukuqoqa amaphuzu agcwele emdlalweni wokuqala we-Afcon ngo-2004 emqhudelwaneni owawuseTunisia.
Ngalolo suku, elakuleli lanqoba ngo 2-0 wamagoli amabili, ananyathiselwe enethini nguSiyabonga “Bhele” Nomvete, bebhekene neBenin (eseqoqweni elifanayo kweyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026).
Ngesikhathi ekhuluma esithangamini nabezindaba izolo ntambama ngezinhlelo zomdlalo weMali, uBroos, ucashunwe yithimba leSouth African Football Association (Safa), eliseKorhogo, eqinisekisa ukuthi amasosha akhe asekulungele ukuqala kwempi.
“Wonke umuntu okhona ekhempini ufisa sengathi ngabe sekuqaliwe ukudlala yize sonke sikuqonda ukuthi sibhekene neqembu elinzima iMali,” kusho uBroos, ogcizelele nobumqoka bokuqala ngewini.
Isithenjwa seBafana, uPercy Tau, sitshele leli thimba labezindaba le-Safa ukuthi yize bezithobile kodwa lokhu akubavimbi ukuthi baphuphe ngokushiya kukhalwa e-Ivory Coast.
“Okuhle ngesikwati sethu wukuthi isibalo sabadlali abazinze ngaphandle kwaseNingizimu Afrika sesandile, okwenza nalaba abadlalela amaqembu asekhaya bakhululeke ngenxa yokwethemba ulwazi esibanika lona,” kusho uTau.
“Inkundla iseqophelweni eliphezulu ngakho-ke sesilinde ukuthi kuqale umdlalo, yize sikuqonda kahle kamhlophe ukuthi iMali ngeke isenzele kube lula.
“Linzima lonke iqoqo esiboshelwe kulona kodwa okumqoka wukubhekana nayo ngamunye imidlalo, bese sicabanga ngeTunisia neNamibia ngesikhathi esikufanele lokho.
“Siyazethemba yize sizithobile kodwa lokhu akwenzi sizenyeze ngokuphupha ngokushaya into ecokeme kulo mqhudelwano,” kuphetha uTau.
Imidlalo ye-Afcon namuhla:
Ngo-4pm: Burkina Faso v Mauritania
Ngo-7pm: Tunisia v Namibi
Ngo-10pm: Mali v South Africa