IZIKHULU zeSouth African Football Association (Safa) zisithatha njengokufakwa umunwe esweni isinqumo seConfederation of African Football (Caf) esigunyaza i-Egypt ukuthi iphathe i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ezokuba maphakathi nonyaka.
ICaf imemezele ukuthi i-Egypt izophatha i-Afcon obekumele idlalelwe eCameroon kodwa yabhuntsha ngenxa yokudonda kokwakhiwa kwezinkundla okumele zisetshenziswe. Kukhona nezimpi zombangazwe ezidla lubi eduze kwezifundazwe ezimbili ebezizophatha imidlalo.
Ibamba lesikhuli esiphezulu kwiSafa, URussell Paul, uzwakalise ukushaqeka ngokuthola kwabo ivoti elilodwa kwawu-16 agunyaze i-Egypt ukuthi iphathe i-Afcon yokuqala ezodlalwa ngamazwe awu-24. Kuzobe kuyi-Afcon yokuqala edlalwa kulandelwa ikhalenda elisha eligunyaza ukuthi idlalwe ngoJuni hhayi ngoJanuwari njengoba bekwenzeka eminyakeni ewu-31 edlule.
Ngemuva kokuphuma kwesinqumo sokuthi imidlalo izoba se-Egypt ezinyangeni eziyisithupha, uPaul uthe kuyamethusa ukuthi kufikwe kanjani kulesi sinqumo ngaphandle uma kuyipolitiki yebhola.
“Okwethusayo wukuthi kwenzeke kanjani lokhu ngoba ngesikhathi sihlolelwa ukuphatha iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2010 siphume phambili kwathi i-Egypt yabamba ibhuleki. Siphoxekile ngesinqumo ngoba selokhu sihlolwe yiFifa, akukho osekwenzekile okushintsha isimo phakathi kwethu nezinkundla zethu ne-Egypt nezinkundla zayo,” kusho uPaul.
Ukushiywa kweNingizimu Afrika ngaphandle ekuphatheni umqhudelwano obekuzodla u-R120 million, ukuchaze njengepolitiki yebhola lase-Afrika hhayi ukuqina kwesicelo noma ukulunga kwezinkundla namahhotela.
NgeSonto umengameli weSafa, uDanny Jordaan, uke wayikhuluma indaba yepolitiki yebhola lase-Afrika ngesikhathi ebuzwa ngamathuba enhlangano yakhe nethuba lokuphatha i-Afcon yesibili eminyakeni eyisithupha.
“Kuningi okwenzeka ebholeni lethu. Amathuba akhona kodwa ngoba ebholeni kukhona ipolitiki ngeke ume ngonyawo olulodwa uthi unesiqiniseko,” usho kanje uJordaan ngaphambi kokuthi kuvotwe.