XOLILE MPISANE
NAKUBA uqalile ngeSonto eCameroon umqhudelwano i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) kodwa asemaningi amaqembu abambe iqhaza kuwona asephazanyiswe ukutholakala kwabadlali nezikhulu behaqwe yigciwane le-Covid-19.
Iqembu lasekhaya liqale lo mqhudelwano ngokuguqisa iBurkina Faso ngo 2-1 kodwa kudingeke ukuthi lidlale ngaphandle kukanozinti, uJean Efala, nomdlali wasemuva, uMichael Ngadeu Ngadjui.
IBurkina Faso nayo ingene kulo mdlalo ngaphandle kwabadlali abahlanu okuhlanganisa nezingwazi zayo, u-Edmond Tapsoba noSoumaila Outtara, kanjalo nomqeqeshi, uKamou Malo.
Amanye amazwe asebike ukuthi abadlali nabaqeqeshi bawo batholakale beneCovid-19 yiGabon, Senegal, Morocco, Guinea, Tunisia, Cape Verde neMalawi.
Ngaphambi kokuqala komqhudelwano, inhlangano eyengamele ibhola ezwenikazi i-Afrika, iConfederation of African Football (Caf), ikuqinisekisile ukuthi amaqembu kuzomele adlale uma enabadlali abangu-11 abangenalo leli gciwane.
Uma kuneqembu elingakwazi ukubophela abadlali abangu-11, umdlalo uzonikwa leli obekumele lidlale nalo.
“Uma umdlali etholwa enegciwane leCovid-19, ngeke agunyazwe ukungena enkundleni noma abambe iqhaza emdlalweni,” kusho isitatimende seCaf.
“Iqembu lizovunyelwa ukuthi lidlale uma linabadlali abangu-11 abakulungele ukudlala.
“Uma kwenzeka engekho unozinti, kufanele omunye umdlali weqembu avale isikhala sakhe, inqobo nje uma isibalo sabadlali abakhona sifika ku-11.
“Iqembu elingakwazi ukuhlanganisa abadlali abangu-11 lizothathwa njengelihlulwe ngo-2-0.
"Ikomidi elihlela i-Africa Cup of Nations lizothatha isinqumo esifanele uma kuvela isimo esingavamile."
Elinye lamazwe azomela isifunda seCosafa kulo mqhudelwano, iMalawi, likuqinisekisile ukuthi abadlali abayisithupha bahaqwe yiCovid-19, okuhlanganisa nomgadli we-Orlando Pirates, uGabadinho Mhango.
Abanye abakulolu luhlu ngabadlali basemuva, uPeter Cholopi, Lawrence Chaziya noStanley Sanudi nabasesiswini, uChikoti Chirwa noRobin Ngalande.
Kunabadlali ababili abangakwazanga ngisho ukuthatha uhambo oluya eCameroon, uCharles Petro noMark Fodya, abasagonqile eSaudi Arabia.
Ngenxa yalokhu, kuphoqeleke ukuthi babize abadlali abane abebelindile, uBrighton Munthali, uStain Davie, uNickson Mwase noPaul Ndlovu, ukuthi balibangise eCameroon ngoMsombuluko.
Owayedlalela iCameroon, u-Eric Djemba-Djemba, ukholwa wukuthi kuzoba nzima ukuthi amaqembu adlale ibhola elihle uma kushoda ngabadlali abamqoka, nokuzokwehlisa izinga lomqhudelwano wonke.
"Kubuhlungu ngoba uma iqembu linabadlali abaningi abatholakala bene-Covid, ngeke likwazi ukudlala," kusho uDjemba-Djemba kwiSky Sports. “Kumele bawuguqule lo mthetho.
"Ngicabanga ukuthi iFifa kuzomele ingenelele ngoba amaqembu nabadlali bazothwala kanzima."
Kusazobonakala ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukuthi amaqembu akwi-Afcon asazothinteka kanjani njengoba uqhubeka lo mqhudelwano nokubhebhetheka kwegciwane kusadlangile.