Umqeqeshi weqela lesizwe lebhola ekhatywayo, uHugo Broos, uvakalise uchulumanco olukhulu emva kokudlala ngendlela encumisayo kwamakhwenkwe wakhe. ABafana Bafana babambene ngamagowuli amathathu macala neAlgeria emdlalweni wobuhlobo obubanjelwe kwibala ekuthiwa yiNelson Mandela Stadium izolo ebusuku. Umdlalo uvelise amagowuli amathandathu ngoba ubushushu futhi omabini amazwe ebedlalela ukuphumelela ebaleni ebeligcwele kungekho nendawo yokunyathela.
Bawuqale kakuhle aBafana Bafana umdlalo umdlalo ngokuhlasela – kodwa iAlgeria inyamezele izithonga yafumana igowuli kuqala elifakwe nguYassine Benzia. Uqhubele phambili uMzantsi Afrika nokudlala ibhola entle wade wavuzwa ngegowuli elifakwe nguThemba Zwane odlalelwe ibhola entle nguMihlali Mayambela. Phambi kokusongwa kwesigaba sokuqala, uZwane udlule emadodeni wafaka igowuli lesibini watsho uMzantsi Afrika wakhokela ngo’2-1. Ifumene igowuli lokulinganisa iAlgeira ekuqaleni kwesigaba sesibini ngebhola efakwe nguYacine Brahimi.
Emva kweenguqu ezenziwe kwisigaba sesibini, uElias Makwana ufake igowuli lesithathu loMzantsi Afrika. Kodwa iye yaphendula iAlgeria futhi ngegowuli elifakwe nguBenzia. Nakubeni aBafana Bafana bephoswe yimpumelelo engeyibaphakamise kakhulu emva kwayo iAfcon – kodwa babonakalise ukukhula emdlalweni wayizolo. “Omabini amaqela adlale umdlalo omhle kakhulu. Senze inkqubela ngoba bekungekho mahluko phakathi kwethu nayo iAlgeria emdlalweni,” utshilo uBroos.
Emva kokuba uMzantsi Afrika ubambene neAndorra ngo’1-1 kwiveki ephelileyo, uBroos unike abanye abadlali ithuba lokudlala, nabo khange bamphoxe. “Indlela esidlale ngayo ithi makungabikho loyiko lokudibana naliphi na iqela apha eAfrika. Ukuzithemba kunyukile ebadlalini ukusukela kwiAfcon ngoba bonke bayaxhasana. Kuhle ngoku ngoba badlalela ukuphumelela. Umgangatho ubuphezulu futhi akukho mdlali ondiphoxileyo. Inkqubela esiyenzileyo iyancomeka,” utshilo umqeqeshi obechulumance ngeyona ndlela.
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