IBAFANA Bafana eholwa ngumqeqeshi, uHugo Broos, inethuba lokuqeda umqondo wabaseNigeria wokwazi ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika iyithofi labo emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu.
Uma kuzoya ngokwezinkulumo zangaphandle kwenkundla, kuzosiphuka izidindi kusasa ngo-6 ntambama, eToyota Stadium, eBloemfontein emdlalweni ka-Group C wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ozoba phakathi kwezinkunzi zase-Afrika, iBafana neNigeria.
Kusukela iNingizimu Afrika yabuyiselwa emidlalweni yomhlaba, iNigeria ayikaze iphinde ikhululeke esikhundleni sokuba ngamakhosi ebhola lase-Afrika ezibeke kusona.
Kuze kube yinamuhla, iNigeria isenenkolelo yokuthi iBafana yayingeke iyiwine indebe ye-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ka-1996 ukube yayikhona kulo mqhudelwano.
Yize lokhu kuzithwala kwabaseNigeria bekungehli kahle kwabalandela iBafana kodwa imiphumela ibilokhu ibavune njalo enkundleni.
Lo mbango onenhlese yepolitiki, awugcini kwiBafana namaSuper Eagles kuphela kepha ukhona nakweminye imidlalo ngokwahlukana kwezigaba neminyaka.
Kwi-Afcon edlule iBafana eyanconwa kakhulu kuyona, yakhishwa yiNigeria emdlalweni owandulela owamanqamu sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi. iBafana yagcina ibuya nendondo yethusi kulo mqhudelwano owawuse-Ivory Coast.
Emidlalweni engu-16 yala mazwe ngokwahlukana kwemiqhudelwano okuhlanganisa neyobungani iNigeria, isiwine eyisishiyagalombili iBafana yanqoba eyisithupha. Kwemibili badlale ngokulingana.
IBafana eqhwakele ku-Group C ngamaphuzu angu-16 emidlalweni eyisikhombisa, idinga amanye amahlanu emidlalweni yayo emithathu esele ukuze izibekisele indawo kwiNdebe yoMhlaba.
Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi iBenin elele isibili ngawu-11, ngeke ifinyelele kwangu-21 ngisho ingayinqoba yonke imidlalo yayo yeqoqo eyisalele.
Ukunqoba kwiBafana namuhla kuzoyishiya idinga amaphuzu amabili ukuzibekisela indawo eMexico, Canada nase-United States of America (USA).
Ngemuva kokunqoba kwiLesotho ngeledlule uBroos uthe: “Engikubheke eqenjini lami wukukhuluma enkundleni, hhayi ngaphandle kwayo.”