Izinto azibahambelanga kakuhle aBafana Bafana emdlalweni wokuqala we’Africa Cup of Nations. ABafana Bafana baquthiswe ngamagowuli amabini eqandeni yiMali emdlalweni obumhle izolo ebusuku eStade Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium. Ukuphumelela kweMali akothusanga ngoba yiyo elawule umdlalo kwizigaba zozibini zomdlalo. ABafana Bafana bebenawo amathuba okufaka amagowuli bakugqiba bavale – kodwa abakwazanga ukuwasebenzisa.
Ipenela eqatyeliswe nguPercy Tau kwisigaba sokuqala yeyona icuthe amathuba aBafana Bafana okuphumelela ngexesha elibi bedinga into engabakhuthaza. Amagowuli afakwe nguHamari Traore noLassine Sinayoko ayibeke endaweni entle iMali emdlalweni wokuqala.
Isiqingatha sokuqala besivutha bhe. Omabini amaqela asukelene futhi kubonakala ukuba afuna igowuli. Abadlali beMali ngabona balawule umdlalo kwisigaba sokuqala.
Bazamile ukunyanzela abadlali boMzantsi Afrika ukuba benze iimpazamo kwimizuzu elishumi yokuqala – kodwa uSiyanda Xulu noMothobi Mvala basebenzisene kakuhle noRonwen Williams ezipalini.
Emzuzwini wesibhozo, uWilliams uthintele ibhola ebiyingozi kakhulu. Khange kube kudala, aBafana Bafana bahlasela nabo – kodwa uDjigui Diarra akavuma ukuvula ezipalini zakhe.
UMzantsi Afrika ufumene ithuba lokubhalisa ebhodini emva kokuba uSikou Niakate edlalise kakubi uEvidence Makgopa yakhonjwa echaphazeni ibhola. UPercy Tau uphose ipenela emva koko waquqa ebuyelela ezipalini zeMali – kodwa wala uDiarra.
Bekufanele ukuba aBafana Bafana bafumene amagowuli amabini. Bathintelwe nguDiarra obambe iibhola eziyingozi ezipalini zakhe. Emizuzwini yokugqibela kwisigaba sokuqala, uWilliams uvale ibhola embi ebizanywe yifolosi egama linguLassine Sinayoko emva koko kwayiwa ekhefini.
Sinike umdla naso isiqalo sesiqingatha sesibini. Emva kokungafuma nto kwisigaba sokuqala, iMali ibuyele ebaleni inomsindo. Abadlali abafana noHaidara (Amadou) baphose amathuba okubeka endaweni entle iMali ebuye yadlala umdlalo omhle kwakhona. Izinto zijike emva kokuba uMvala ewise uLassine Sinayoko endaweni embi.
USeku Koita ukhabe ibhola ngobuchule ebethe epalini yadibana noHamari Traore. Khange kube kudala, iSinayoko ufake igowuli lesibini leMali emva kokuyekwa nguSiyanda Xulu emhlabeni kanozinti. Akukho nto icacileyo edlalwe ngaBafana Bafana kwisigaba sesibini ngaphandle kwebhola enye ebethe epalini.
IPirates icambalalise iCape Town City emdlalweni weMTN8