AmaGhana namaYiphutha azibekele iindawo zazo kumjikelo olandelayo kwitumente yezwekazi le Afrika [2017 Afcon] esingathwe lilizwe laseGabon. Kumdlalo kaGroup D wokuqala, ifolisi eyaziwayo e-Afrika jikelele, u-Asamoah Gyan, ifake igowuli elibalulekileyo elinike iGhana impumelelo ka’1-0 kumdlalo ebethe kuwo iMali kwibala iStade de Port-Gentil ngokuhlwa kwangoMgqibelo. UGyan uhlabanisele ibhola entle ebisuka kuJordan Ayew ngomzuzu wamashumi amabini anesibini kwisiqingatha sokuqala.

Emva kwemidlalo emibini kule tumente, iGhana, yenze umsebenzi ogqibeleleyo ngoba iyiphumelele yomibini futhi nomdlalo wayo ukwiqondo eliphezulu. Kumdlalo wokuqala iiBlack Stars zabetha i-Uganda. Ngoku zijonge ukusonga umjikelo wokuqala ngomdlalo ekulindeleke ukuba utak’iintlantsi nelizwe likaFaro.

Nangona iMali idlale umdlalo omhle futhi oneentlantsi phaya naphaya – kodwa ayikwazanga ukufumana neli linye igowuli kwiGhana. Ngokungafaniyo neminye iminyaka engaphambili, ilizwe laseMali lizakulinikela umva ilizwe laseGabon lingawenzanga umahluko. Kwitumente ezidlulileyo iMali ikwazile ikwazile ukudlulela kwimijikelo ephambili.

Kumdlalo wesibini kaGroup D, i-Egypt ibethe ilizwe lase-Uganda ngo’1-0 ebusuku bayizolo. AmaYiphutha akwiphulo elinzima lokubuyisela ubunganga wawo kwibhola yezwekazi le Afrika emva kokukhubeka ngenxa yezidube-dube zopolitiko ezaphazamise ela lizwe kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo. Ezi ntshatsheli zangaphambili zisasokola ukufumana isingqi sazo – kodwa ziyazama. Nangona yagqibela kudala i-Uganda ukudlala kwi-Afcon, indlela edlale ngayo ukuzothi ga ngoku kufanele ukuba ingayityhafisi ngoba ibidlala namazwe anabadlali abadlala kumazwe aphesheya futhi anamava kwimidlalo ye-Afcon. Nangona i-Egypt ize kulo mdlalo inethuba ngenxa yamava – kodwa isokole izolo. Ukuba abadlali be-Uganda bebezibambe zaqina kwade kwase kugqibeleni, ngekuthethwa enye into namhlanje. Abadlali abafana noFaruku Miya banekamva elihle kakhulu kwaye ukuba i-Uganda iligcinile iqela labadlali abadlale kule tumente, inethuba lokwenza ngcono kwi-Afcon elandelayo.

Njengoku iMali ne-Uganda kulindeleke zigoduke kwiveki ezayo, iGhana ne-Egypt kulindeleke zidlale umdlalo okumgangatho ophezulu ngenxa yokhuphiswano oluhleli lukho phakathi kwamazwe amakhulu ebholeni ye-Afrika.