Umqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, uStuart Baxter, unomsebenzi omkhulu kakhulu phambi komdlalo wale mpelaveki ophakathi koMzantsi Afrika neBurkina Faso. Lo mqeqeshi kufuneka aqinisekise okokuba ukhuthaza abadlali bakhe futhi aqinisekise ukuba iingqondo zabo bazimilisele emdlalweni. IBafana Bafana kunyanzelekile ibethe iBurkina Faso kumdlalo wokuzibekela indawo kwindebe yehlabathi ka-2018 ozakube useFNB Stadium ngo’15:00 ngoMgqibelo. Ngumsebenzi onzima kakhulu lo emva kokuba uMzantsi Afrika ubethwe yiCape Verde izihlandlo ezibini zilandelelana kwinyanga ephelileyo. Kungoku nje amathuba weBafana Bafana okuya eRussia ambalwa emva kokuba iFIFA ithe umdlalo eyabethwa kuwo iSenegal mawuphindwe ngenxa kasompempe owathatha izigqibo ezingachanekanga.
Amalungiselelo weBafana abenamagingxi-gingxi ngenxa yokonzakala kuka-Andile Jali, uThulani Hlatshwayo noBradley Grobler. Ukapteni weCape Town City, uRobyn Johannes nomdlali weMamelodi Sundowns, uModisha Motjeka, bakhwetyelwe kwiqela lesizwe ukuze bavale indawo ka-Eric Mathoho osikwe yiFIFA noHlatshwayo. Zizonke ezo zinto zibeka uxinizelelo olumandla kuBaxter – kodwa yena uthi akazikhathaza ngezinto angenamandla wazo. Okubalulekileyo kuye umqeqeshi kukufumana impumelelo kumdlalo wale mpelaveki. “Singathetha ngazo zonke ezi zinto zenzekileyo – kodwa kufuneka sizibeke ecaleni. Ikhona intshukumo engenzeka ukuba sibetha iBurkina Faso. Asinawo amandla wezinto ezingenzeka kweminye imidlalo. Yindlela esidlala ngayo esinokwazi ukuyilawula,” utshilo uBaxter.
Emva kokubethwa kweBafana Bafana kwinyanga ephelileyo, ziphume macala onke izigxeko ezithe zajoliswa kuBaxter nakubadlali bakhe. Abadlali baya kulo mdlalo besazi okokuba abalandeli abasenalo ithemba kubo nangona kusekho imidlalo abazakuyidlala. “Enyanisweni, sendimdala kakhulu mna ukuba ndingazikhathaza ngezinto ezithethwa ngabantu; izinto ziyabaxwa eMzantsi Afrika. Kubamnandi xa iqela liphumelela, kuphinde kube krakra xa libethwa. Kodwa ke kufuneka ukwamkele ukugxekwa,” utshilo uBaxter.
Njengokuba uHlatshwayo ezakuphoswa ngulo mdlalo, u-Itumeleng Khune uzakuxhuzula imikhala njengokapteni kulo mdlalo wempelaveki.
IBig Brother Mzansi iza kuqala ngoJanuwari