Umdlalo wobuhlobo obuphakathi kwaBafana Bafana neAngola uphele kungekho qela elivumileyo ukuyiswa emdlalweni obutshisa bhe eMbombela Stadium. ABafana Bafana, abebekhangela impumelelo emva kokubetha iMozambique phakathi evekini, babambene ngegowuli elinye macala nabamelwane. Iinjongo zikaHugo Broos zokulola abadlali bakhe phambi kwemidlalo ehlakulela iAfcon ziphumelele ngoba bafumene imidlalo esemgangathweni ophezulu. Ukungasetyenziswa kwamathuba kakuhle ziifolosi kuseyingxaki noxa iqela liwadalile amathuba. Kuyiwe kwixesha lokuphumla amaqela ebambene ngegowuli elinye macala. Oku kwenzeke emva kokuba iAngola iqhufuze iqanda kuqala emdlalweni ngebhola efakwe yifolosi egama linguCristovao Paciencia.
Umgangatho womdlalo eMbombela Stadium ubuxhonyiwe ngamaqela omabini. Asukelene ukusukela emzuzwini wokuqala womdlalo. Ukufakwa kwegowuli kuBafana Bafana kubanyanzele ukuba banyuse umxakatho. Khange kube kudala kakhulu, uZakhele Lepasa ufake igowuli lokulinganisa ngepenela ethe gqi emva kokudlaliswa kakubi kukaKgaogelo Sekgota obeyinkathazo kakhulu kwisigaba sokuqala somdlalo. Khange batyhafe abadlali beAngola. Indlela abahlasele ngayo ibonise ukuzimesela kwabo emdlalweni abebefuna ukuwuphumelela.
Phambi kokuphela kwesigaba sokuqala, uNyiko Mobbie ukhabe ibhola entle – kodwa ngelishwa lakhe, iqabele ngaphezulu kweepali. Kubekhona ukuhexa kwindlela aBafana Bafana abadlale ngayo emva kwisigaba sokuqala. Amaqela abuyele ebaleni kwisigaba sesibini somdlalo athatha apho abeyeke khona kwisigaba sokuqala. Ihlasele iAngola isebenzisa isantya esiphezulu kakhulu. Ukuba uRonwen Williams ebengaxabanga ezipalini, uPalancas Negras ngelifumene igowuli lesibini layo iAngola. Amathuba ewadalileyo nanyanzele uWilliams asebenze ezipalini azelwe kukudlala kwabadlali beAngola emdlalweni.
Ibhola bebeyibeka phantsi, benikelana futhi behlasela ngendlela encomekayo. Kwelinye icala, aBafana Bafana badlalile nabo bekhokelwa nguMiguel Timm, uThemba Zwane noTebogo Mokoena esiswini futhi bazamile ukuvala amazibuko nokudala amathuba. Ingxaki ebethe uMzantsi Afrika kukuba abadlali bawo bebengakwazi ukubamba ibhola bayisebenzise kakuhle phambi kweepali zeAngola. USaleng, uMayo noHlongwane bangene kwisigaba sesibini – kodwa bebegadwe kakhulu. Kuncinci kakhulu abakwenzileyo emdlalweni ngoba iibhola zaBafana Bafana beziqhawulwa lula phambili. UHugo Broos uza kuzamkela ngovuyo iziphumo zanamhlanje ngoba iqela lakhe linikwe umdlalo osemgangathweni ophezulu yi-Angola. Umdlalo uphele kungekho qela eliyisiweyo.
Lumka Oliphant: ‘Yekani utywala’