INgwazi yebhola ezwenikazi lase-Afrika, uSamuel Eto’o, uzwakalise ukudideka kwayo ngokungenzi kahle kweNingizimu Afrika ku-Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), njengoba ilungiselela ukubhekana neMali emdlalweni wayo wokuqala ka-2024 ngoLwesibili.
Lo mgadli owake wagijima eqembini lesizwe laseCameroon, ungumshayi magoli amaningi kulomqhudelwano wezwekazi njengoba enelokhodi lokuhlohla amagoli angu-18, uthe ulindele lukhulu kuBafana Bafana (Abafana), uma kubhekwa izinga leligi yabo yasekhaya.
“Kuyangixaka ukuthi kungani iBafana Bafana ihlezi ingenzi kahle kwi-Cup of Nations,” etshela abezindaba ngesikhathi kuqhubeka umhlangano uthe “Iligi yaseNingizimu Afrika ihlelwe kahle futhi ingenye ahamba phambili e-Afrika ngakho angiqondi ukuthi kungani iqembu lesizwe lingadlali kuhle lokho.
“Izikhulu zebhola kumele zihlale phansi zihlele ukuthi zizoyisa kanjani iBafana kwelinye izinga ukuze ibe yiqembu lesizwe elihamba phambili e-Afrika. Uma kubhekwa amandla eligi kazwelonke, lokho kungenzeka,” kusho u-Eto’o, owanqoba i-AFCON kabili neCameroon futhi manje osengumongameli weCameroon Football Federation.
INingizimu Afrika ibuyela ku-Afcon ngemuva kokuphuthwa yi-Edition ka-2022, futhi iqhathwe kuGroup E neMali, iNamibia neTunisia eKorhogo, okuyindawo esenyakatho kakhulu kwamadolobha amahlanu azosingatha e-Ivory Coast. INingizimu Afrika yenza kahle kakhulu ngo-1996, ngesikhathi isingathe futhi yanqoba lo mqhudelwano, ihlula iTunisia kowamanqamu phambi kwabalandeli abangu-80 000, okuhlanganisa noMengameli wangaleso sikhathi uNelson Mandela. Kodwa-ke, ukuphuma kwe-quarter-final eya eMali ngo-2002 kwaphawula ukuqala kokwehla okuye kwaqhubeka cishe ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka kusukela ngaleso sikhathi.
Emidlalweni eyisithupha eyalandela, okuhle kakhulu asebekwazile ukufika kuma-quarter-final amabili, kanti enye yawo bekungosokhaya ngo-2013. Ezinye izihlabani zaseNingizimu Afrika zisole ukungabi bikho kwesifiso nendlala kubadlali abakhona okuyimbangela yokuwohloka komnotho.
Umshayi wamagoli amaningi kuBafana Bafana uBenni McCarthy, owashaya amagoli angu-31, uthe abadlali bagculisekile ngokuhlala ekhaya bajabulele ubuntofontofo beligi yakuleli, kunokuthi baziphonsele inselelo e-Europe.
“Bantula indlala yokujoyina iklabhu yaseYurophu, ukulwa nesimo sezulu esibandayo futhi balwela indawo yokuqala,” lo mdlali oneminyaka engu-46 ubudala, oseyingxenye yethimba labaqeqeshi beManchester United, etshela abezindaba. “Ngokungafani namashumi ambalwa eminyaka adlule lapho wonke umdlali webhola waseNingizimu Afrika efuna ukushintshelwa e-Europe, iqembu lamanje liyakujabulela ukuhlala ekhaya, ukuhola kahle nokuduma emphakathini.
“Ngaqeqesha amaqembu amabili asezingeni eliphezulu aseNingizimu Afrika futhi ngangivame ukuba nomuzwa wokuthi omakhalekhukhwini bathathwa njengento ebaluleke kakhulu kunebhola.”
UStuart Baxter, owazalelwa e-England owayengumqeqeshi weKaizer Chiefs okuyiqembu elithandwa kakhulu kuleli, uvumelane noMcCarthy.
“Ngesikhathi ngifika eNingizimu Afrika (ngo-2005) abadlali bebhola babebhincisela nxanye ukuya phesheya kwezilwandle. Akusenjalo.
“Iningi imali manje ngenxa yamalungelo kamabonakude noxhaso. Abanye abadlali bathola amaholo amakhulu.
“Isimo sengqondo sabaningi sibonakala siyisizathu esenza ngizihluphe ngokuya e-Europe uma ngikhonzwa lapha, ngikwazi ukushayela imoto ebizayo futhi ngibe nabantu abaningi abangithandayo.”
Babili kuphela abadlali baseNingizimu Afrika, abanamaqembu amahlanu aphezulu e-Europe – uLyle Foster waseBurnley noLebo Mothiba waseStrasbourg futhi ngeke babe se-Ivory Coast.
UBurnley uthe bekungeke kube ubuhlakani ukuthi uFoster ashiye e-England njengoba eseluleme ezinkingeni zempilo yengqondo kanti ukulimala edolweni kwenze uMothiba wadlala.
INingizimu Afrika izothembela ekunqobeni ukungabi khona kwayo futhi ikhombise ukuthi u-Eto’o unephutha uma isibhekene neMali ngoLwesibili, emdlalweni ongase ube wumdlalo omqoka wamathuba ayo okudlulela esigabeni somkhumulajezi.
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