INJINI yeBafana Bafana, uKamohelo Mokotjo, ikholwa ukuthi ukubukelwa phansi kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ka-2019 kungalisebenzela iqembu laseNingizimu Afrika.
IBafana ifakwe kuGroup D kwi-Afcon ezoqala ngoJuni 21 e-Egypt lapho izobhekana khona ne-Ivory Coast, Morocco neNamibia. Umdlalo wokuvula izowudlala ne-Ivory Coast ngoJuni 24.
IBafana yehlile ngokwezinga kule minyaka edlule nobekufakazelwa ukuthi ihluleke ukuzibekisela indawo emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu.
Igcine ukudlala kwi-Afcon ngo-2015 iqeqeshwa ngu-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba lapho iphume khona ekuseni.
UMokotjo useqenjini lomqeqeshi uStuart Baxter okuzohlungwa kulona (ngeSonto) abawu-23 abazomela uMzansi e-Egypt.
Eqoqweni okukhona kulona iBafana, sekuvele kukhulunywa ngeMorocco ukuthi iyona ezoqeda ihlezi phezulu.
“Iningi lethu lizodlala i-Afcon okokuqala futhi kungaba okokugcina. Kodwa sigxile kokwenzeka manje. Esizibekele khona ukuya laphaya siyosebenza, sihambe ibanga elinde kulo mqhudelwano. Akukho okunye. Uma sithathwa kancane lokho kuzosisiza kakhulu ngoba siyazi ukuthi singadlala kahle kangakanani uma senza okufunekayo,” kusho uMokotjo.
“Siyabazi laba badlali abadumile esizobhekana nabo. Kodwa okubalulekile kithina esikwenzayo siyiqembu. Ukuhlaziya amaqembu esizobhekana nawo nokuthi silusebenzisa kanjani ulwazi esinikwa lona. Kodwa sinabadlali abahlakaniphile, abasebenza kanzima. Sikwazile ukuzibekisela indawo kulo mqhudelwano. Ngakho kungani singeke sikwazi ukwenza okukhethekile e-Egypt. Sinesikwati esihle. Ngithemba ukuthi isizwe ngeke sibeke amabala ngoba siseqoqweni elinzima. Sizibona sinethuba. Asiyi laphaya sizitshela ukuthi sithathwa kancane kodwa uma kwenzeka, lokho kuhle kithina.”
UMokotjo ngomunye wabadlali abadlale kuwona wonke amaqembu esizwe. Ngaphezu kwalokho uwine umqhudelwano iDanone Nations Under 12 ehola iqembu laseMzansi ngo-2003.
Nokho eminyakeni embalwa edlule uthwale kanzima ukuthola indawo yakhe kwiBafana phezu kokuba ubekade engomunye wabadlali basesiswini abahamba phambili kwiligi yaseHolland kusukela ashiya kwiSuperSport ngo-2009.
“Bengilinde ithuba lami. Ngithemba ukuthi ngizolithola ngenhlanhla. Bengisebenza kanzima ukuba lapho engikhona manje. Kodwa yonke ikhempu ihlukile, umdlalo nomdlalo uhlukile. Manje wumqhudelwano omkhulu. Isifiso sami wukuthola indawo eqenjini. Uma ngiyithola, ngizosiza izwe lihambe ibanga elide. Ngiyakholwa wukuthi singakwenza lokho. Sonke siyadingana singabadlali. Konke kuqala lapha ngamalungiselelo,” kusho uMokotjo.