Ifikile imini ekudala ilindiwe. Ngomso ngentsimbi yesixhenxe ekuseni, aBanyana Banyana baza kujamelana neSweden eyingozi emdlalweni weFIFA Women’s World Cup oza kube useWellington Regional Stadium. Nangona umgangatho uxhomile emidlalweni yetumente yehlabathi eqale izolo eNew Zealand nase’Australia [amazwe asingethe itumente ngokubambisana] – kodwa uMzantsi Afrika uthembele ngamava wabadlali bawo abaninzi njengokuba uza kuthatha inxaxheba ityeli lesibini ukusukela ngo2019, eFrance. UDesiree Ellis namantombazana wakhe banethuba elingaphaya kwenyanga belungiselela itumente yalo nyaka. Bekukhe kwanzima abadlali beqhankqalazela iibhonasi – kodwa konke bakuphose ngemva oko phambi kokudibana neSweden emdlalweni wabo wokuqala ngomso.
Ngumdlalo oza kuba nzima ngoba uMzantsi Afrika uyasokola ukoyisa iSweden futhi sekulithuba elide uzama ukuyoyisa usoyisakala. Nakubeni kunjalo ke kodwa, uRefiloe Jane uthi iqela lakhe liwulungiselele umdlalo wangomso. Kwiveki ephelileyo, uMzantsi Afrika udlale umdlalo wobuhlobo neCosta Rica, waphumelela ngamagowuli amabini eqandeni eChristchurch, eNew Zealand. Yiyo le nto abadlali besiya emdlalweni wangomso ukuzithemba kufunqukile. ‘Umdlalo esiza kuwudlala neSweden uza kuba nzima. Sikhe sadlala nayo ngaphambili siyayazi – kodwa amalungiselelo wethu ahambe kakuhle kakhulu,’ utshilo uJane onguKapteni weqela lesizwe lamanenekazi adlala ibhola ekhatywayo.
‘Sikwenzile konke okusemandeni wethu, ngoku sijonge emdlalweni sinethemba leziphumo ezihle,’ utshilo uJane, omnye wabadlali abanamava kwiqela likaDesiree Ellis. UMongameli weSafa, uGqirha Danny Jordaan noMphathiswa weZemidlalo uMnu. Zizi Kodwa, bachithe usuku lwayizolo nabadlali eNew Zealand bebomeleza phambi komdlalo ongabanika amandla okuya phambili ukuba bangafumana amanqaku amathathu emdlalweni wangomso. Mane amaqela amele izwekazi le’Afrika kwitumente yehlabathi yalo nyaka. INigeria seyinalo inqaku elinye engxoweni emva kokuba ibambene ngeqanda macala neCanada. Kanti kwelinye icala, iZambia eqalayo kwitumente yehlabathi ivuthululwe ngemvula yamagowuli amahlanu onke yiJapan namhlanje.
UNasreddine Nabi uthi uyayazi into efunwa ngabalandeli beKaizer Chiefs!