Ilizwe laseCape Verde libethe uMzantsi Afrika okokuqala ngo’2-1 kumdlalo ohlakulela indebe yehlabathi yango’2018 kwisixeko sasePraia, kwibala elibizwa ngokuba yi-Estadio Nacional kubusuku banamhlanje. Le yimpumelelo yokuqala yeCape Verde kwimidlalo yamazwe akuGroup D. UMzantsi Afrika awukwazanga konke konke ukudlala ibhola ephucukileyo kwibala elingayo ingca obudlalelwa kulo umdlalo. ABafana Bafana bathezwe amandla ngakumbi sisenzo esingaqiqwanga ngu-Eric Mathoho akhabe kuso umdlali ngaphandle kwebala esikhokelele ekukhutshweni kwakhe kulo mdlalo.
UMzantsi Afrika uye kwixesha lokuphumla uhamba emva ngo’2-1. Umdlalo uqale ngezinga eliphantsi – kodwa yifolosi elithemba kwezi ntsuku, uTokelo Rantie, ungcangcazelise umnatha kumzuzu weshumi elinesine kwisigaba sokuqala emva kokunikelana kakuhle kwabadlali boMzantsi Afrika. Nangona amakhwenkwe kaStuart Baxter ekwazile ukukhokela ngegowuli kulo mdlalo – kodwa ebengadlali kakuhle konke. Umdlalo ubulawulwa yiCape Verde – mhlawumbi kungenxa yokuba abadlali bayo bebedlalela endaweni abayiqhelileyo. UNuno Rocha ufake igowuli lokulinganisa emva kokuba abadlali boMzantsi Afrika bengakwazanga ukuchitha ibhola egotywe kwicala lasekunene. URocha ubhalise elesibini ngebhola ebibekwe echaphazeni emva kokuba uDean Furman ephazamise uRyan Mendes ngaphakathi kumhlaba kanozinti.
Kuye kwanyanzeleka okokuba enze unguqu umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana emva kwemizuzu embalwa kwisigaba sesibini. ULebogang ongakhange agqame kakuhle kulo mdlalo, endaweni yakhe kungene uBradley Grobler – ofike wabashukumisa abadlali beCape Verde abadlala emva. UBongani Zungu, ongabonakalanga kakuhle kulo mdalo, ukhutshiwe kwafakwa uKamohelo Mokotjo. UMzantsi Afrika uphantse wafaka igowuli lesibini ngethuba u-Eric Mathoho egquba ibhola exhimfwe ngenqindi nguDias nangona usompempe ebesethe kukho umdlali olaleleyo. Izinto ziye zambi kwiqela lika-Eric Mathoho ekhutshwa ngekhadi elibomvu emva kokukhaba umdlali weCape Verde ngaphandle kwebala. Kumzuzu wamashumi asixhenxe, uKeagan Dolly, utsale imbumbulu yebhola – kodwa uye wayibamba unozinti. URonwen Williams uvale ibhola ebimbi emva kokuhlasela kwefolosi yeCape Verde. Wenze umsebenzi omhle uPercy Tau nangona engayifumananga kakuhle ngentloko ibhola ayifumene kuMphahlele. UMzantsi Afrika unethemba lokuguqula izinto ngoLwesibini weveki ezayo xa kudlalwa umlenze wesibini eMoses Mabhida Stadium.
Cape Verde: Dias. Almeida, Stopira, Rodrigues, Vally, Soares, Rocha, Babanco, Fernandes, Tavares, Mendes.
South Africa: Ronwen Williams, Tebooho Langerman, Eric Mathoho, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Dean Furman, Bongani Zungu, Keagan Dolly, Temba Zwane, Lebogang Manyama, Tukelo Rantie.
Imvumi yaseNgqeleni ibuye neembasa ezimbini kwiiMAMAs!