Idlulele kwisigaba esilandelayo setumente yehlabathi iMorocco emva kokuwisa iSpain ngo’3-0 kumapenela emdlalweni obubanjelwe e-Education City Stdium. Kuye kwanyanzeleka ukuba umdlalo uye kumapenela emva kokuba uphele kungekho qela eliphumeleleyo. UYassine Bounou liqhawe leMorocco emva kokuba ebambe amapenela amabini weSpain esingafumanga nto. Yimbali le yenzeke namhlanje ngoba iMorocco iyaqala ukungena kwiTop 8 yeFifa World Cup ngale iqhubekayo eQatar.
Emva kokukhutshwa kwamanye amaqela, yiMorocco kuphela esahleliyo kwiWorld Cup kulawo abemele iAfrika. Omabini amaqela ngekwazile ukusonga umdlalo ukuba ebesebenzise amathuba emdlalweni. Imizuzu emihlanu kwisigaba sokuqala iphelile kungekho qela elihlaseleyo. Ngoba bekudibene amazwe anabadlali abazanayo, akukho qela elifune ukuya ngamandla ngoba bekucacile ukuba omabini akafuni ukulahlekelwa.
Emzuzwini weshumi elinanye, iMorocco ifumene ithuba ngebhola ebibekwe phantsi kude kufuphi nonozinti – kodwa uAchraf Hakimi uyikhabele phezulu. Iphinde yabuya iMorocco, ntekunayo uSimon (Unai) uphume ezipalini wayibamba ibhola. Ibhola yokuqala yeSpain ikhatywe nguJordi Alba ethe qelele yafika uYassine Bounou ethe qwa ezipalini. Abadlali bamaqela omabini bathe bakufudumala bahlaselana – kodwa kuvalwe amazibuko macala.
USofiane Boufal, obe yinkathazo kwiSpain, uhlasele wafumana uHakim Ziyech oye wagutyungelwa ngabadlali beSpain ngokukhawuleza. Umdlalo weSpain uye waqina ngokuhamba kwexesha – kodwa iMorocco ibivale mba emva. UFerran Torres noGavi bakhe baphantse bamfaka engxakini uBounou owenze impazamo. Phambi kokuphela kwesigaba esilawulwe siSpain, uZiyach noBoufal bazamile ukuhlasela, ngelishwa iinzame zabo aziphumelelanga.
Siphelile isigaba sesibini somdlalo kungekho qela elivumileyo ukubethwa. Isiqingatha sesibini besingataki iintlantsi ngokufana nesokuqala. Amaqela omabini ebedlalela ibhola embindini webala ubukhulu becala. UZiyach khange awufumane kakuhle namhlanje umhlaba wokudlala kakuhle. Abadlali basemva beSpain bebemgadile – kodwa ebeyingozi xa ephethe ibhola. Emzuzwini wamashumi amahlanu anesine, uTorres ukhabe imbumbulu yebhola ebethwe ngamanqindi ngunozinti weMorocco.
Abadlali ababini beSpain abangene njengamalalela, uNico Williams noWalid Cheddira, bazamile ukuwenza umahluko – kodwa iinzame zabo zifike uBounou ehleli ezipalini. Akukho mathuba maninzi acacileyo adalwe ngamaqela omabini. Emva kokuphela kwamashumi alithoba emizuzu, khange kubekho qela eliphumeleleyo. Umdlalo uye kwixesha elongezelelweyo. Bekufanele ukuba iMorocco iphumelele ukuba uCheddira ebekwazile ukuwasebenzisa amathuba amabini awafumeneyo kwixesha elongezelelweyo. UBounou noAymeric Laporte bayisindisile iMorocco ebihlaselwa macala siSpain. Iphumelele ngo’3-0 iMorocco kumapenela.
Lumka Oliphant: ‘Yekani utywala’