ISIFUNDAZWE iKwaZulu-Natal siwufuna eThekwini umdlalo weBafana Bafana neNigeria wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026.
Lokhu kuvele ngesikhathi umengameli weSouth African Football Association (Safa), uDanny Jordaan, ekhuluma nabenzindaba oLundi ngempelasonto edlule. UJordaan ubehambele imidlalo yeKZN Premier’s Cup ephelezelwa ngusihlalo weSafa KZN, uKwenzakwakhe Ngwenya.
IBafana, edlale ngokulingana neNigeria ekuhambeni ngoJuni, izogadulisana neSuper Eagles ngoSepthemba 8, 2025 eMzansi enkundleni esazomenyezelwa. Kuvele ukuthi iTheku liyawufuna lo mdlalo.
UJordaan uthe ukwenza kahle kwamaqembu esizwe, iBafana neBanyana Banyana, sekuqubule isasasa lokuwasingatha ezifundazweni ezahlukene kuleli. Inkundla yayigcwele phama ngesikhathi iBafana ibhekene neZimbabwe ngoJuni emdlalweni enqotshwe elakuleli ngo 3-1.
“Bonke sebeyayifuna iBafana neBanyana. IBafana isendaweni ka-10 ezwenikazi i-Afrika. IBanyana ingompetha base-Afrika futhi isendaweni yesibili. Womabili amaqembu asenza kahle manje futhi asefunwa kakhulu. Wabona okwenzeka eBloemfontein, inkundla yayigcwele. Kwakukhona elinye iqoqo elalingaphandle kwenkundla elalingenawo amathikithi kodwa lifuna ukungena. Kwadingeka sibize amaphoyisa alivimbe, alijikise.
“Mkhulu umdlandla manje. Abantu bafuna ukubuka iBafana, bafuna ukweseka iBafana, bafuna ukungena enkundleni. Yinto esikade sagcina ukuyibona eMzansi. Amaqembu ethu abuyile futhi adlala kahle. Sikhona isifundazwe esesizwakalise ukuthi siyawufuna oweNigeria futhi usihlalo waso nangu phambi kwami, nomphathiswa waso wezeMidlalo ukhona lapha,” kusho uJordaan, ekhomba uNgwenya.
UNgwenya uvumile ukuthi iKZN isembangweni wokuthola umdlalo weBafana neNigeria. Uma lesi sifundazwe siwuthola lo mdlalo, makhulu amathuba okuthi udlalelwe eMoses Mabhida Stadium.
IBafana ikleliswe kuGroup C neRwanda, Benin, Zimbabwe, Nigeria neLesotho. Isendaweni yesibili lapho kodwa ibambene ngamaphuzu ayisikhombisa neRwanda eseqhulwini neBenin esendaweni yesithathu.
IBafana ilwela amaphuzu okuzibekisela indawo koweNdebe yoMhlaba ozodlalela eCanada, Mexico, nase-United States kusukela ngoJuni 11 kuya kuJuni 19 ngo-2026. Izwekazi i-Afrika lizomelwa ngamazwe ayisishiyagalolunye.