NGEKE alalele wonke umuntu ngendlela okufanele abophele ngayo isikimu umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, uStuart Baxter, kulandela ukuvungama ngendlela abebophela ngayo abadlali okuholele ekutheni leli qembu lesizwe lidlulele kwi-Last 16 ye-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) sekuvalwe amehlo.
IBafana ingene kwiLast 16 iqhutshwa ngesihlalo esinamasondo kulandela ukubalwa emazweni amane alale isithathu ngamaphuzu angcono. Le nhlanhla ewele kwiBafana, iyiqhathe nolaka lokubhekana ne-Egypt engosokhaya, ngoMgqibelo eCairo International Stadium emumatha abantu abawu-75 000.
Ngesikhathi uBaxter ebuzwa ngokuthi uyazi yini ukuthi kunalo msindo ngendlela abophele ngayo isikimu, uthe yena wanikwa amandla eSafa House ngakho kumele wonke umuntu azi ukuthi kukhala esakhe isicathulo kwiBafana.
“Indaba yesikimu iyinkinga efanayo umhlaba wonke. Kwabezindaba nakubalandeli indaba yesikimu ihlale njalo ikhulunyelwa phezulu. Ibhola wumdlalo wemibono. Ngeke ifane imibono yabantu ngebhola. Ngisho ngingababuza bonke abaqeqeshi kwiPSL (Premier Soccer League) ukuthi yisiphi isikimu esifanele, ngeke basho into efanayo ekubeni kuyibona ababazi ukusuka nokuhlala abadlali.
“Ngingagcina ngisangana ikhanda uma ngingase ngilalele wonke umuntu ngesikimu. Uma kunguwena oqashiwe, amandla esikimu akuwena. Yimina kulokhu engifanelwe ukukhuluma ngesikimu ngoba abadlali ngihleli nabo ekhempini futhi yimina engibaziyo ukuthi bakusiphi isimo,” kusho uBaxter.
Lo mqeqeshi uthe isikimu uzosibophela ngendlela ezoba yinkinga kwi-Egypt.
“Mina nethimba lami sizohlala phansi sibheke ukuthi kubadlali esinabo yibaphi abazonika i-Egypt inkinga. Asinaso isikhathi sokucabanga okuningi kodwa simelwe ukubheka kubadlali abasefomini, abangakhathele bese kuba abadlali abazosheshe bakhombise izimpawu zokuthi indlela esifuna ukudlala ngayo ne-Egypt bayashesha ukuyibamba.”
Ngeke abe khona uThemba Zwane osesigwebeni samakhadi. Kungenzeka futhi ukuthi sekuvuleka ithuba likaThembinkosi Lorch okuze kube yimanje ijezi limeqa ekhona ekubeni eqokwe njengomdlali ovelele kwiPSL nyakenye.
UBaxter uvumile ukuthi bawubukile umdlalo weMali ne-Angola okuyiwona obumqoka kakhulu ukufeza izifiso zeBafana zokungena ngomnyango wangemuva kwiLast 16.
“Kunezikhathi lapho inhliziyo icishe yama khona. Lokhu bekudalwa yindlela iMali ebidedela ngayo abagadli be-Angola. Kubukeke sengathi kuyabaphaphamisa abadlali ukuthi sizobhekana ne-Egypt. Bayazi futhi ukuthi abenzanga kangcono emidlalweni yamaqoqo. Lo mdlalo we-Egypt bawubuka njengowokukhokha isibhongo ngokungadlali ngendlela nabo abazaziyo ukuthi bangadlala ngayo.”