Isizwe sama-Arab, iSaudi Arabia, senze into ebingalindelwanga kuso ngabantu abaninzi ngethuba sibetha iArgentina eye kwitumente yehlabathi iqhayisa ngabadlali abafana noLionel Messi odlala eFrance. Oku kwenzeke emva kokuba iSaudi Arabia ibuye ngasemva yabetha iArgentina ngamagowuli amabini kwelinye (2-1) emdlalweni weNdebe yeHlabathi kaGroup C obubanjelwe eLusail Iconic Stadium emini namhlanje. Impumelelo ezuzwe ngabadlali beSaudi Arabia iyakuhlala ezimbalini zebhola ekhatywayo futhi iza kubanika amandla emidlalweni elandelayo kaGroup C. Phantse wonke umntu ebelindele kuphumelele iArgentina ekhokelwa sisibavubavu somdlali ohlonitshwa lihlabathi lonke, uLionel Messi.
Kwisiqingatha sokuqala, yiArgentina ebinamandla futhi yiyo nedale amathuba acacileyo emdlalweni. Unozinti weSaudi Arabia, uMohammed Al Owais, usebenze kwa kwimizuzu yokuqala, uvale ibhola ebizanywa nguMessi. Khange kube kudala emva kwethuba lokuqala aliphosileyo, uMessi ubhakuzelise umnatha ngepenela watsho wangumdlali wokuqala kwimbali yeArgentina ofake igowuli kwiitumente zehlabathi ezine zilandelelana. Emva koko iArgentina ifake amagowuli amabini angavunywanga yiVAR encedisa oosompempe emidlalweni. Nangona ibiphantsi koxinizelelo, iSaudi Arabia ikwazile ukudlala umdlalo ozinzileyo ebinawo amathuba okuwusonga umdlalo kwangoko.
Isiqingatha sokuqala siphele unozinti weArgentina, uEmiliano Martinez, kungekho bunzima akhe wadibana nabo. Emva kwekhefu, abadlali beSaudi Arabia babuye bengamameli okwenkomo etyiwa sisibawu. Kwimizuzu yokuqala kwisigaba sesibini, uSaleh Al-Shehri ufake igowuli lokulinganisa eliyinike amandla iSaudi Arabia. Emva komzuzu, uSalem Al-Dawsari ufake igowuli lesibini leSaudi Arabia yathula yathi cwaka iLusail Iconic Stadium ebigcwele imi ngeembambo ngabalandeli bebhola. Abadlali abafana no-Angel Di Maria noMessi bazamile ukulwa – kodwa abadlali beSaudi Arabia bebevale mba emva bekhokelwa ngunozinti wabo owenze umahluko omkhulu emdlalweni wanamhlanje. Iqela likaHerve Renard lihleli phezulu kuGroup C emva kokuphumelela ngo’2-1.
IPirates ibhale iincwadi zembali ngokutsha eMoses Mabhida Stadium!