Amagowuli afakwe nguTokelo Rantie noPercy Tau ancede uMzantsi Afrika ngethuba ubetha iNigeria ngo’2-0 okokuqala kumdlalo obalulekileyo emva kweminyaka elishumi elinesithathu uzama kumdlalo wokuzibekela indawo kwi-2019 Africa Cup of Nations obuseGodswill Akpabio Stadium ngale ntlwa. Lo ngumdlalo wokuqala kaStuart Baxter obuyele kwiBafana Bafana kwiiveki nje ezimbini phambi kwale mpumelelo inkulu kangaka. Yimpumelelo le eyakuthi ibhiyozelwe nguMzantsi Afrika obusokolo udelelwa yiNigeria ithuba elide. Nangona iBafana Bafana ingaqweqwediswani yiSuper Eagles njengakweminye imidlalo yangaphambili – kodwa uqale ngokuyivumela idlale futhi idale namathuba ewayekileyo.
Iqela lesizwe loMantsi Afrika, iBafana Bafana, litsale nzima kwisiqingatha sokuqala. ISuper Eagles yiyo ebilawula umdlalo futhi ikwayiyo efumene amathuba aliqela okufaka amagowuli. Imizuzu elishumi yokuqala iphele kungekho nto ebhodini, amazwe omabini kubonakala ukuba kukho into ayifunayo – kodwa kwabe kunzima ukugqobhoza. Kumzuzu weshumi elinesibini, uThulani Hlatshwayo wenze umsebenzi omhle ngethuba echitha ibhola ebiyingozi kakhulu – emva koko iNigeria ayikwazanga ukusebenzisa ikona eyifumeneyo.
Amakhwenkwe kaStuart Baxter abebonakala engenadyudyu akwazile ukwabelana ngebhola kakuhle ebaleni kulo mdlalo – kodwa eyona ngxaki ibingakwazi ukuyigcina ixesha elide ngoba abadlali beNigeria bebekhawuleza bafake uxinizelelo kubo. Unozinti woMzantsi Afrika, u-Itumeleng Khune, unqande amanzi engena endlini izihlandlo eziliqela. Injongo yeSuper Eagles ibikukufaka igowuli kuqala kuba ibisazi lo nto ukuba iyakuwutyhafisa kakhulu uMzantsi Afrika. UThemba Zwane ubenelishwa elikhulu ngethuba ibhola yakhe ayigotyelwe nguTebogo Langerman ekunxele inqandwa yipali kanye phambi kokuya kwixesha lokuphumla. Isigaba sokuqala siphele esabembene ngo’0-0 e-Uyo.
INigeria ithathe apho ibiyeke khona kwisiqingatha sokuqala ngokuthi idlalele kumhlaba weBafana Bafana. Ibhaqe ikona emva kokuchithwa kwento ebiyizama. Ngomzuzu wamashumi amahlanu anesithathu, uTokelo Rantsi, ufake igowuli ngentloko emva kokufumana ibhola entle kuRamahlwe Mphahlele oyigobe esekunene. Nangona abadlali beNigeria ibingabo abalawula ibhola ubukhulu becala, into ebanzimeleyo kukufaka igowuli emva kokuxhokunxwa nguMzantsi Afrika otsazise igazi kuqala. UStuart Baxter ukhuphe uSibusiso Vilakazi, endaweni yakhe wafaka uLebohang Manyama ovale isizini ye-Absa Premier Socer league ehamba phambili ngamagowuli alishumi elinesithathu. Umdlalo woMzantsi Afrika uye wazina emva kokuba ufumene igowuli. UHlatshwayo no-Eric Matoho bebengavumi tu emva. UZwane uphinde waphosa elinye ithuba ephambi kukaDaniel Akpeyi emva kokubethela isithende nguRantie ephakathi ebhokisini.
UKeagan Dolly akayinikwanga ipenela ngusompempe emba kokuvalelwa isicaco ngumdlali weNigeria phakathi ebhokisini. Esazulwini sebala uDean Furman noBongani Zungu bedlale umdlalo obumbeneyo kwaye bebencedisa kakhulu xa abadlali beSuper Eagles bezama ukuhlasela. UPercy Tau – ongene endaweni kaRantie – ufika wafaka igowuli emva kwebhola entle ayifumene kuDolly. Izamile ikubuyela emdlalweni iNigeria – kodwa uMzantsi Afrika ubusowuthe qwa. IBafana Bafana iphumelele owona mdlalo mkhulu kwimbali yawo ukusukela mhla ilizwe labuyiselwa kwibhola yehlabathi.
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