Nakubeni bekukho ukubethabethana kweembono phakathi
kukaStuart Baxter neSafa malunga nendawo emakudlalwe kuyo liqela lesizwe –
kodwa oko kuphoswe ngasemva omva kokuba liqhube kakuhle kule mpelaveki.
UMzantsi Afrika ubuyele ekhaya imisila iphezulu emva kokuba uphumelele itumente
yamazwe amane ebisingathwe yiZambia. IBafana Bafana icambalalise iZambia
ngamagowuli amabini eqandeni (2-0) kumdlalo wamagqibela kankqoyi obubanjelwe
eNdola – esinye sezixeko ezikhulu kwilizwe laseZambia. Abadlali abafake
amagowuli wempumelelo nguPercy Tau noLebo Mothiba.

Amazwe athe athatha inxaxheba kule tumente ibe nguMzantsi
Afrika ophumeleleyo, iZambia ebingusotheko, iZimbabwe ne-Angola. ABafana Bafana
babethe ilizwe lase-Angola kumdlalo wokuqala ngo’6-5 kumapenela ngoLwesithathu.
Yona iZambia izibethele iZimbabwe kumapenela emva kokubambana ngo’2-2
emdlalweni emalanga ngoLwesithathu, uStuart Baxter, usebenzise abadlali abatsha
kwiqela lesizwe ebaxuba nabo badala. Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo iziphumo zale
tumente zimonwabisile kwaye izinto zihambe ngokwendlela awayecwangcise ngayo.

Abadlali abadlaliswe nguBaxter bebephakathi kweminyaka
engamashumi amabini namashumi amabini anesihlanu – iye yangunozinti kuphela,
u-Itumeleng Khune, onamashumi amathathu eminyaka. Ukapteni weBafana, uThulani
Hlatshwayo, uye wabotshwa nomdlali weKaizer Chiefs, uDaniel Cardoso –
bencediswa nguRamahlwe no-Innocent Maela kumdlalo wokugqibela. Kanti esiswini
uTeboho Mokoena, uKamohelo Mokotjo noSiphesihle Ndlovu badlale kakuhle kakhulu
bencediswa sisiququ uKeagan Dolly, uSibusiso Vilakazi noPercy Tau phambili.

UMzantsi Afrika uye kwixesha lokuphumla uphala phambili
ngegowuli elifakwe nguTau. Kwisigaba sesibini uMothiba uvalele emnatheni
igowuli lesibini kumdlalo obunzima kakhulu obubanjelwe kwibala ekuthiwa yiLevy
Mwanawasa Stadium.