UKAPUTENI weBafana Bafana, uRonwen Williams, uzishaya isifuba ngokukhula ngesivinini kwakamuva kwaleli qembu lesizwe aliholayo osekubuyise kubona nakubalandeli uthando nokuziqhenya ngeqembu labo obese kulahleke iminyaka eminingi.
UWilliams ubekhuluma nethimba leSouth African Football Association (Safa) elisekhempini ebeliyingxenye yemidlalo yobungani ehlelwe yiFifa kwelase-Algeria.
IBafana idlale nosokhaya, i-Algeria, izolo ebusuku. Kowokuqala ibibambane ne-Andorra ngo 1-1 ngesonto eledlule.
Iminyaka yokuqala iNingizimu Afrika ibuyiselwe emidlalweni yomhlaba iBafana ibingelinye lamaqembu esizwe asatshwayo kwazise ibicoboshisa kwasani.
Ubufakazi balokhu ukuthi idle isicoco se-Afcon ngo-1996. Kudlule iminyaka emibili kwenzeke lokho kwalandela ukuthi iphelele kowamanqamu ngo-1998 eBurkina Faso. Lokhu bekuhambisana nokuzibekisela indawo eNdebeni yoMhlaba okokuqala eyayiseFrance ngonyaka ofanayo. Elakuleli labuye lazifaka emqhudelwaneni owalandela owawubanjelwa eKorea/Japan ngo-2002.
Uthando nokuzigqaja ngaleli qembu lesizwe kwehle kakhulu sekungene iminyaka yo-2000 lapho kube sengathi lihlehla nyova ekuklelisweni kwamazwe omhlaba.
UWilliams ukubeke kwacaca ukuthi ukwesekwa kwakamuva abakuzwa kuqhamuka emphakathini waseNingizimu Afrika kubenza (abadlali) ukuthi bazizwe bekhethekile.
Leli qembu lisanda kubuya nendondo yethusi kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ebise-Ivory Coast esongwe ngenyanga edlule. Kwakugcine ngo-2000 ukwenzeka lokhu.
Kukona konke uWilliams uchoma umqeqeshi weqembu lesizwe, uHugo Broos, uphaphe lwegwalagwala ngokuba ungqondongqondo ekuphendukeni kwezinhlanhla zeBafana.
“Kungenza ngizizwe ngikhethekile ukuhola iqembu elibumbene ngendlela iBafana yamanje ehlangene ngayo kusukela kubadlali kuya kubaqeqeshi,” kusho uWilliams kwabeSafa.
“Eminyakeni emibili edlule sishaywe kabili (uma ungabalwa umdlalo wayizolo) kuphela emidlalweni engaphezulu kwengu-30. Lokho kuyazikhulumela kukodwa.
“Kusukela kufike uBroos iBafana isihluke kakhulu kangangokuthi nathi asizazibukeli phansi ngisho ngabe sibhekene nobani. Lo mqeqeshi ufike wasibuyisela ukuzigqaja ngokudlalela leli qembu lesizwe.
“Asisesabi qembu ngoba sesiyazi ukuthi sinawo amava okunqoba ngisho ngabe sibhekene nanoma iliphi iqembu lesizwe.
“Senze kahle kwi-Afcon muva nje kodwa akufanele kugcine lapho ngoba indlela yokusondeza abalandeli neyokubagcina eduze yimiphumela esiyithola phambi kwabo noma sisekuhambeni,” kuqhuba uWilliams.
Ukuvezile nokuthi unolwazi lokuthi abadlali abebekwiBafana ngaphambi kwabo kubaphule umoya abaningi babo ukuthi abazange babe ingxenye ebuyise udumo.
“Baningi abadlali abazamile ukubuyisa udumo lweBafana ngaphambi kwethu kodwa ngebhadi kwangenzeka ngakho-ke sizizwa sihloniphekile ukuthi sibe ingxenye yayo uma sekwenzeka.
“Kuhle lokhu kodwa kuhamba nejoka lokuqhubeka nomgqigqo ngoba uBroos ngeke asivumele ukuzikhukhumeza kanti nomphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika ngeke siwenzele phansi, ususikhombisile ukuthi uyasithanda,” kuphetha uWilliams.
IBafana inemidlalo emqoka ngoJuni lapho ezobe ihlungela ukuya kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026, okuyinto eyagcina ukuyenza ngezithukuthuku zayo ngo-2002. Izobhekana neNigeria ngoJuni 3 bese idlala neZimbabwe ngoJuni 10