IMIKLOMELO ebuye neBafana Bafana kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) esongwe ngempelasonto kwelase-Ivory Coast iwubufakazi obuqanda ikhanda bokuthi leli qembu lesizwe lisendleleni ebheke ekubuyiseni isithunzi salo saseminyakeni edlule ebholeni lase-Afrika.
Lona umbono ka-Edward “MaGents” Motale, owayeseqenjni le Bafana ngo-1996 okuwunyaka leli qembu lesizwe eligcine ngawo ukuqukula isicoco sokuba umakhonya e-Afrika.
Yize sekuphele iminyaka engu-26 lokhu kwenzekile kodwa uMotale unesiqiniseko sokuthi isikhathi sokulinda enye imphumelelo yeBafana sesizoba sifushane kakhulu.
Lokhu uMotale ukutshele Isolezwe izolo ezeseka ngokuthi akubone kwiBafana kwi-Afcon ubengakulindele.
IBafana iqede endaweni yesithathu kwi-Afcon okokuqala eminyakeni engu-24 okuyenze yahlabana ngendondo yethusi.
Lokhu bekuphelezelwa umklomelo wokuba iqembu eliziphathe kahle umqhudelwano wonke ngaphambi kokuvala ngokuthi iqhawe elingukaputeni, uRonwen Williams, aqokwe njengonozinti ovelele.
“Kusukela manje akekho umlandeli webhola e-Afrika ozokhohlwa ngeBafana ngakho-ke uWilliams nabafana bakhe sebevele bayiqalile indlela ebheke ekubuyiseni isithunzi sezwe,” kusho uMotale.
“Akekho umthandi webhola ongalazi igama likaWilliams ongukaputeni weBafana. Le miklomelo abafana ababuye nayo iwubufakazi bokuthi iBafana isendleleni ebuyela ekuhlonishweni ebholeni lase-Afrika,” kuqhuba le nkakha equkule isicoco seCaf Champions League nePirates ngo-1995.
UMotale akawuvali umlomo ngamaqhinga omqeqeshi waseBelgium, uHugo Broos, yize kunabaqale bangamuzwa kahle.
“Uqale kwaba sengathi uzoxabana nawo wonke umuntu kanti uyazi ukuthi uza nani. Kungakuhle uma iSouth African Football Association (Safa) ingamgcina ngoba ukucacisile ukuthi angalenzelani izwe kule Afcon esongwe ngeSonto.
“Ukukhombisile ukuthi uwumqeqeshi ebesimdinga isikhathi eside ngoba ukwazile ukuhlanganisa abadlali abebenganakiwe iningi labo wabaphendula inqanawe yeqembu elilale isithathu kwi-Afcon.
“Ukungaliqinisi kwakhe ikhanda ngoThemba (Zwane) noKhuliso (Mudau), bobabili abadlale into ebonakalayo e-Ivory Coast, kube nomthelela ngakho-ke kusemqoka ukuthi singamkhohlwa uBroos kule mpumelelo.
“Ukunganqeni ukulanda inqwaba kwiSundowns yize bemgxeka enye yezinto esho lukhulu ngoBroos. IBafana isendleleni ebheke ekubuyiseni udumo lwayo ngaphansi kwakhe nabadlali bakhe okuyinto ekade ishoda kwiBafana eminyakeni edlule,” kusho uMotale.
Umdlali ovelele kube isitobha seNigeria, uWilliam Troost-Ekong, kwathi umshayi magoli ophambili kwaba, u-Emillio Nsue, wase-Equatorial Guinea oshaye amahlanu.
Umdlali omncane ovelele, uSimon Adingra, wase-Ivory Coast kwathi umqeqeshi wakhe, u-Emerse Fae, waqokwa njengomlolongi obengcono kunabo bonke.