UMAKADEBONA womgadli wakuleli uJerry "Legs of Thunder" Sikhosana, ucela umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, uHugo Broos, angasheshe afake uRelebohile Mofokeng (19) we-Orlando Pirates, emphandwini wezingonyama ngoba kungafaka ikusasa lomdlali engcupheni.
Ngesonto eledlule isikhwishikhwishi somdlali sibizelwe eqenjini lesizwe lesikhashana labadlali abangu-36, lapho siboshele nabagadli. Bekungokokuqala kwenzeka lokhu selokhu sijoyine iqembu elikhulu leZimnyama.
Ezinsukwini ezizayo kulindeleke ukuthi uBroos amemezele iqembu lokugcina labawu-23. Lizodlala eyokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba neNigeria ngoJuni 7 ekuhambeni, libhekane neZimbabwe ngoJuni 11 eFree State Stadium, eBloemfontein.
Selokhu kuqale isizini uMofokeng ushisa engabaselwe. Ngasekuqaleni konyaka noBroos ucashunwe engawuvali umlomo ngekhono lakhe.
Emidlalweni ewu-29 esidlalwe yiPirates, ugijime ewu-25 yeligi, washaya amagoli amathathu, wakha amahlanu.
USikhosana owashayela eZimnyama igoli elayinqobisa iCaf Champions League, ngo-1995 bebhekene ne-Asec Mimosa yase-Ivory Coast, ubongele uMofokeng ngokuqokelwa eqenjini lesizwe. Uthe wethemba ukuthi ngeke agxajelwe yikhanda.
"Ngiyayincoma indlela engisambona eziphatha ngayo nangaphandle kwenkundla. Ngihlale ngikugcizelela kubadlali abajoyina iPirates, Kaizer Chiefs neMamelodi Sundowns ukuthi indlela abaziphatha ngayo iyona ecaba indlela yekusasa labo.
“Ukubizelwa kukaMofokeng eqenjini lesizwe yigxathu elikhulu. Ngethemba ukuthi lokhu kuzomenza alenyuse kakhulu izinga lakhe lokudlala," kubeka uSikhosana.
Uthe isifiso sakhe ukuthi uma uBroos egcina ngokumfaka umdlali eqenjini lokugcina, angamphosi emphandwini wezingonyama.
"Ukudlala kahle ezingeni leqembu akusho ukuthi naseqenjini lesizwe uzoshisa. Ukusheshe udlaliswe kulo kubuye kube yingozi. Kungalibulala ikusasa lomdlali. Uma ebhacazile ugxekwa yisizwe sonke, akanaphazwa kuphela ngabalandeli beqembu lakhe. Uma ukhakhayi lusathambile, umdlali ubizelwa eqenjini lesizwe ukuthi azofunda. Uma iqembu lenza kahle umqeqeshi angamfaka imizuzu embalwa ngasekupheleni komdlalo. Wenzela ukuthi ajwayele, abuyelwe nawukuzethemba. Umdlalo wokuqala sizowudlala neNigeria. Isicelo sami ukuthi angafakwa uMofokeng emphandwini wezingonyama. Uma engadlaliswa naye lokhu kuzomele kungamtheni amandla, unekusasa elihle.“
USikhosana owadlala kweZimnyama phakathi kuka-1993 kuya ku-1998, wenze isibonelo ngaye.
"Ngiqala ukubizelwa kwiBafana angiwudlalanga owokuqala. Yingoba sasidlala neGhana. Safakwa eqenjini lesizwe ukuzobona ukwenziwa kwezinto. Asizange sifakwe esizibeni. Angifakwanga ekubeni ngaleso sikhathi ngangiwaqhulula amagoli kwiPirates," kuchaza uSikhosana.
Ku-Group C, iBafana ilele isibili ngamaphuzu amathathu emidlalweni emibili. Ishaye iBenin ngo-1-0, yadliwa iRwanda ngo-2-0 kweyokuqala yohlungela eyomhlaba. Elinye ilizwe eboshelwe nalo kuleli qoqo, yiLesotho.