Umqeqeshi weqela lesizwe lamantombazana adlala ibhola ekhatywayo, uDesiree Ellis, uchiphize iinyembezi watsho evakalisa ubuhlungu bentliziyo yakhe emva kokushiya abadlali athi bebekufanele nabo ukuya kwitumente yehlabathi. Kwiveki egqithileyo, uye wabhengeza amagama wabadlali aza kuya nabo kwitumente yehlabathi eza kubanjelwa e’Australia naseNew Zealand kwisithuba senyanga ukusukela ngoku. Kubadlali abangaphaya kwamashumi amathathu, kuye kwanyanzeleka umqeqeshi aphungule kushiyeke amashumi amabini anesithathu. Ngumxube wabadlali aphumelele ngabo iAfcon kunyaka ophelileyo nabahlanu abatsha abachongileyo uDesiree Ellis.
UMzantsi Afrika watywatyushwa kuyo yomithathu imidlalo kwitumente yehlabathi egqithileyo. Kweli ityeli, aBanyana Banyana baya benawo amava futhi kukho ukuzithemba kuba beziintshatsheli zezwekazi le’Afrika. “Inkqubo yokukhetha abadlali indibethile emphefumlweni ngoba ndikubonile ukuphoxeka kwabadlali abangahambiyo. Ndiķubone emehlweni ukuphelelwa kwabo lithemba, utshilo uEllis kwindibano ebisePitoli. Ukuphoxeka kwabadlali bekulindelekile ngoba wonke umdlali webhola ekzhatywayo unephupha lokudlala kwitumente yehlabathi. Kodwa kuye kwanyanzeleka umqeqeshi alungise inani elithile elifunwa yiFIFA.
“Ndikhethile ngoba kunyanzelekile. Kunzima ukuba ngumqeqeshi ungabinalo uvelwano. Ukushiya abanye abadlali yeyona nto ebinzima kum ngoba ndiyayazi indlela ebebezimisele ngayo. Bendikhe ndivuke nasebusuku ndiphinde ndijonge abadlali esibakhethileyo ukuba baza kulunga na kwindlela esiza kudlala ngayo. Ndizamile ukucacisa kubo abadlali abangachongwanga ukuba bashiyekile kuba bebaninzi abadlali abadlala iindawo zabo,” utshilo uEllis. UMzantsi Afrika uza kudibana namazwe ayingozi afana ne’Argentina neSweden. Okuhle kulo nyaka kukuba aBanyana Banyana baya emfazweni besazi ukuba baza kubhatalwa imali elinganayo nabadlali abangamadoda abadlalela aBafana Bafana.
UEl Nino uhlasela amafama weswekile