Njengokuba iCAF imanxada-nxada ngenxa ye-2017 Afcon kwilizwe laseGabon, phambi kokuqala kwaye lo mbutho uqale ngokwenza uthelekiso lwamaqela azakulwela indawo kwi-2019 Afcon ezakube iseCameroom. Iqela lesizwe loMzantsi Afrika, iBafana Bafana, lithelekiswe neentshaba ezinkulu – iNigeria. Omabini la mazwe akakwazanga ukuya kwitumente eqhubayo eGabon. 

Lo mdlalo uyakuthathwa yiNigeria njengethuba elihle layo lokubuyisa isixhiba emva kokuba iBafana Bafana yabangunobangela wokungayi kweeSuper Eagles kwi-2015 Afcon eyayisingathwe yi-Equatorial Guinea. KuGroup E nguMzantsi Afrika, iNigeria, iLibya neSeychelles. Umongameli weSafa, ugqirha Danny Jordaan, uyamkele indlela athelekiswe ngayo amaqela azakulwela ukuya kwi-Afcon ezayo.

“Akusekho maqela abhetyebetye kule mihla, ndiyavuya kakhulu. Kufanele umlo wokuya kwi-Afcon ubephakathi kwethu neNigeria – kodwa ndinalo ithemba lokuba sizakudlulela phambili kuGroup E,” utshilo uJordaan eLibreville kwilizwe laseGabon.

Iziphathamandla zeSafa zinentlanganiso kwiveki ezayo – apho kulindeleke zixoxe ngomqeqeshi ozakungena endaweni kaShakes Mashaba ogxothwe ngulo mbutho phambi kokuphela konyaka ophelileyo. UMashaba wakhonjw’ emnyango ngenxa yamazwi arhabaxa awawaphosa kwiinkokeli zeSafa emva komdlalo owawuphakathi kweBafana Bafana neSenegal wokuzibekela indawo kwitumente yehlabathi ka’2018. Umqeqeshi ozayo uza kunikwa uxanduva kokuthatha uMzantsi Afrika awuse kwiFifa World Cup eseRussia netumente yezwekazi le Afrika ngo’2019.

Phambi kokulungisa indlela eya eRussia, umqeqeshi ozayo kufuneka alungiselele imdlalo ehlakulela i’2019 Afcon. Umdlalo wokuqala ungomhla wesihlanu kwinyanga yeSilimela 2017 nelizwe laseNigeria, kulandele iSeychelles neLibya. UMzantsi Afrika kulindeleke usebenze ngokuzimisela ukuze ususe ihlazo emva kokungakwazi ukudlala kwi-Afcon yalo nyaka neetumente zehlabathi ezidlulileyo.