UKhune uthi mayize iNigeria, bayilindele!

UMzantsi Afrika uya edabini elinzima kakhulu kule mpelaveki kwisixeko esibizwa ngokuba yi-Uyo, eNigeria. Kulapho iqela lesizwe leli lizwe lizakuswantsulisana neNigeria kumdlalo obalulekileyo nokulindeleke itak’ iintlantsi wokuzibekela indawo kwi-2019 Afcon. Lo nto ithi umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana omtsha, uStuart Baxter, kufuneka aqule ade aligangathe phambi kwalo mdlalo neNigeria – ilizwe eliphala phambili kwezoqoqosho nakwicala lokuvelisa i-oyile kwizwekazi le-Afrika.

Kulindeleke iNigeria isebenzise lo mdlalo njengethuba elifanelekileyo lokubetha iBafana Bafana eyaxaba endleleni yayo eya kwi-Africa Cup of Nations ngo’2015 eyayibanjelwe eQuatorial Guinea. Nangona uMzantsi Afrika usoloko usikha phantsi isitya sigcwele xa udlala neSuper Eagles – kodwa unozinti weKaizer Chiefs neBafana Bafana, u-Itumeleng Khune, izakufika beyilindile. UKhune, 29, omnye wabadlali abanamava abachongwe nguBaxter kutshanje, uthi iNigeria mayilindele iqela elahlukileyo kulo mdlalo uzayo.

“Siyayhlonipha iNigeria, isibethile amatyeli amaninzi ngaphambili kwaye inabadlali abadumileyo – kodwa mayilindebe into eyahlukileyo kweli ityeli. Ndiyakholwa ukuba umgangatho wethu uphucukile noko kwaye sinabo abadlali abasafuna ukuzibonakalisa kwiqela lesizwe. Soze kube lula ukudlala neNigeria – kodwa uxinizelelo ndiyalwamkela,” utshilo uKhune kwi-Independent kutshanje.

Nangona uMzantsi Afrika ungabethwanga yiNigeria kwimidlalo emibini yokugqibela ngethuba uqeqeshwa nguShakes Mashaba – kodwa uwukayibethi kwiminyaka elishumi elinesithathu kwimidlalo ebalulekileyo. Ukuba iBafana Bafana ingaphumelela lo umdlalo, lo nto ingabanika amandla kwiinzame zabo zokuya kwi-Afcon nendebe yehlabathi ezakube iseRussia ngo’2018. UMzantsi Afrika zange ukwazi ukuya kwindebe yehlabathi eBrazil ngo’2014 kanti uphinde waphoswa yi-Afcon yalo nyaka.