Nangona bekudlalwa nje ngamazwe adlale namhlanje – kodwa abanike umdlalo omhle abalandeli bebhola ekhatywayo. Emva kokuba iSouth Sudan ibethe iCongo Brazzaville ngo’3-2 emdlalweni wayizolo, lo nto ithethe ukuthi amazwe amabini, uMzantsi Afrika ne-Uganda, afumene amatikiti okuya kwiAfrica Cup of Nations ngoba ebehleli phezulu kuGroup K.
Nakubeni kunjalo, aBafana Bafana bayibethe ngo’2-0 othuleyo i-Uganda emdlalweni obubanjelwe eNelson Mandela International Stadium emalanga namhlanje. Bekunganyanzelekanga ukuba uMzantsi Afrika uphumelele – kodwa ngenxa yokubambana kwawo amaqela emdlalweni wokuqala eBloemfontein kuye kwanyanzeleka ukuba i-Uganda ibekwe endaweni yayo.
Yadlala kakuhle kakhulu i-Uganda futhi yaphantse yawufaka engxakini uMzantsi Afrika owakhuphela umsindo kwiSouth Sudan emdlalweni olandelayo. Umdlalo wanamhlanje uqale ngesantya esiphantsi. Omabini amaqela ebengafuni ukulahlekelwa kwangoko emdlalweni. UWatenga khange akhatyelwe bhola kwisigaba sokuqala sade saphela.
Bekunjalo nakwicala likaRonwen Williams obesekhefini. Kuyiwe kwixesha lokuphumla kungekho qela elibhalisileyo ebhodini. UHugo Broos wenze iinguqu kwisigaba sesibini kwatsho kwakho umahluko emdlalweni. Khange kube kudala engene ebaleni, uThapelo Morena ufake igowuli lokuqala.
Emva kwakhe ulandelise ngelakhe uPatrick Maswanganyi obeqala ukufaka igowuli kwiqela lesizwe. Ngoku uMzantsi Afrika ophumelele ngesitayile uhleli phezulu kuGroup K ngeshumi elinanye lamanqaku. Kwiveki ezayo ngorhatya langoLwesibini, aBafana Bafana baza kudibana neSouth Sudan emdlalweni wokugqibela oza kube useCape Town Stadium.
Nangona umsebenzi sowugqityiwe – kodwa uMzantsi Afrika unoxanduva lokwenza umsebenzi omhle phambi kwabalandeli bawo. Emva komdlalo, umqeqeshi ugxininise ukubaluleka kokuphumelela yonke imidlalo. Ufuna lo nto ngoba sele eqalile ukulungiselela imidlalo yeAFCON. Kweyalo nyaka, uMzantsi Afrika ubuye uphethe ibronze.
Makadedele abanye uMalema kwiEFF