KUSENGENZEKA iBafana Bafana ingene ngopotsho emqhudelwaneni i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) njengoba kuvela ukuthi izinto zimapeketwane eCameroon okufanele iyisingathe ngoJanuwari 2022.
IBafana ihlulekile ukuzibekisela indawo kwi-Afcon emuva kokuthelwa isibhaxu yiSudan emdlalweni wokugcina obekufanele okungenani ithole iphuzu kuwona. Emuva kwalokho, iSafa ikhombe indlela umqeqeshi uMolefi Ntseki. Sekuvele ukuthi makhulu amathuba okuthi iCameroon ihluleke wukulungisa ngesikhathi zonke izinto ezidingekayo ukuze isingathe i-Afcon esinamaqembu angu-24. Kuthiwa amahhotela nezinkundla ezimbili kubukeka kungeke kulunge ngesikhathi. ICameroon yephucwa ilungelo lokusingatha i-Afcon ka-2019 ngakho ukushaya ngonyawo lonwabu kwamalungiselelo nokungabi sezingeni kwezokuphepha. I-Afcon yagcina ukudlalelwa eMzansi ngo-2013 emuva kokuthi iphucwe iLibya ngenxa yezimpi.
Ilunga lesigungu esiphezulu seSafa, iNational Executive Committee (NEC), liveze ukuthi bazoligxumela ithuba lokusingatha i-Afcon uma inhlangano eyengamele ibhola e-Afrika, iConfederation of African Football (Caf) ibacela.
"Uma iCameroon inezinkinga njengoba kushiwo, sizoyisingatha i-Afcon. INingizimu Afrika inakho konke okudingekayo futhi ayaziwa amagalelo ethu ekusingatheni imiqhudelwano," kusho ilungu leNEC yeSafa.
Leli phephandaba liphinde lahosha ukuthi amalungu e-NEC abizwe emhlanganweni ophuthumayo ozoba ngoLwesihlanu eGoli. Indaba eseqhulwini ngeyokuqashwa komqeqeshi omusha weBafana.
Sekuvele kunamagama abaqeqeshi aphakanyisiwe kwabangathatha isikhundla sikaNtseki. Kulaba baqeqeshi kukhona uPitso Mosimane, Benni McCarthy no-Eric Tinkler.
"Yebo, sithunyelelwe izimemo zomhlangano ozoba ngoLwesihlanu. Indaba ephambili okuzoxoxwa ngayo eyomqeqeshi. Kulokhu sifuna umqeqeshi onamava nonomlando ophathekayo ekuqeqesheni. Asijabule nathi ngendlela iqembu lesizwe elidlale ngayo. Yingakho simxoshile umqeqeshi obekade ekhona. Akukhathalekile ukuthi siqasha umqeqeshi wasekhaya noma owangaphandle. Akusho lutho ukuthi sewake wayiqeqesha iBafana noma cha. Okubalulekile wukuthi unguyena yini lo muntu esimdingayo ukuthi ahole iqembu lesizwe," kusho ilungu leNEC yeSafa.
Okhulumela iSafa, uDominic Chimavhi, akafunanga ukuyikhuluma eyomhlangano ophuthumayo, wathi akukhulunywe nesikhulu esiphezulu uTebogo Motlanthe oseThekwini.
UMotlanthe uthe: "Sizohlangana ngoLwesihlanu lapho sizobhunga khona ngendaba yomqeqeshi njengoba sakusho ukuthi ngeke sichithe isikhathi. Emuva komhlangano sizomemezela konke okufanele."
Umqeqeshi ozothatha kwiBafana uhlalelwe umsebenzi wokuyifaka kwiNdebe yoMhlaba. Iqala ngoJuni imidlalo yokuhlungela lo mqhudelwano ozobanjelwa eQatar ngonyaka ozayo. INingizimu Afrika yagcina ukudlala kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ngo-2010 ingosokhaya kanti yagcina ngo-2002 eKorea/Japan ukungena kuyo ngezithukuthuku zayo. Eqoqweni leBafana kweyokuhlunga kukhona iGhana, Zimbabwe ne-Ethiopia. Iqembu elizoqeda phezulu lapha lizodlulela esigabeni sokugcina esizokhipha amazwe amahlanu azomela i-Afrika eQatar.