XOLILE MPISANE
Japan (0) 1
South Africa (0) 0
ININGIZIMU Afrika iwuqale kabi umqhudelwano webhola lezinyawo kuma-Olympics, iguqiswa ngosokhaya iJapan ngo 1-0 emdlalweni wokuqala kaGroup A eTokyo Stadium, ngoLwesine ntambama.
Umdlalo ubuphethwe yiqembu laseJapan, kusukela uqala waze wayophela kodwa ngesiwombe sokuqala ezikaDavid Notoane bezivale ngodonga obeluqiniswe ngukaputeni uTercious Malepe nonozinti uRonwen Williams, kwayiwa ekhefini zibambene ngo 0-0.
Igoli leqembu lasekhaya livalelwe phakathi nguTakefusa Kubo, oqhamuka kwiReal Madrid yaseSpain, ngomzuzu ka-71. UKubo nguyena obevele ewuhlupho ezitobheni zakuleli.
Likhombise zisasuka iqembu laseJapan ukuthi liyawufuna umdlalo ngamabhola abegotshwa nguKoji Miyoshi kwesokunxele, uWilliams usebenzile ebamba ebelishaywe uRitsu Doan ngomzuzu ka-13. UDaichi Hayashi walibeka eceleni kwenethi ngomzuzu ka-14.
UWilliams uphinde wakhombisa ukuthi kungani efakwe kuleli qembu njengomunye wabadlali abaneminyaka engaphezu kuka-23, ngenkathi ebamba ishodi likaHayashi ngomzuzu ka-32, waphinde wachitha ebeliyingozi eliqhamuke kuMiyoshi.
Ithuba lokubika leNingizimu Afrika livele sesiyophela isiwombe sokuqala ngesikhathi uSibusiso Mabiliso, ezibeka endaweni enhle ebhokisini ohlangothini lwesinxele kodwa ibhola lakhe lavalwa.
Ikhona eqhamuke lapho ukhethe ukuyidla ngequpha unozinti weJapan uKosei Tani, ibhola lahlala onyaweni lukaTeboho Mokoena ngaphandle kwebhokisi, wadonsa intambo ephume eceleni kwepali.
Isiwombe sesibili siqale njengesokuqala kusahlasela yona iJapan, waphinde walitakula elakuleli uWilliams ngomzuzu ka-56, ephebeza ibhola likaHayashi ngesandla esisodwa sekuvalwe amehlo.
Lugcine lugqobhokile udonga lweNingizimu Afrika ngomzuzu ka-71, uKubo ethola ibhola ngakwesokudla, wangena ngaphakathi ebhokisini wabe eselibeka enethini ngonyawo lwesinxele.
Lizamile ukubuya iqembu elakuleli, uLuther Singh waliqondisa ngqo kunozinti waseJapan ibhola elimthole engamakiwe enkabeni yebhokisi ngomzuzu ka-77.
Ithuba lokugcina bekuyi-freekick ebingaphandle kancane kwebhokisi ngakwesokunxele emizuzwini eyengeziwe, uMokoena wayibeka eceleni kwepali.
IMexico izihola phambili kuGroup A ngamaphuzu amathathu, emuva kokubhaxabula iFrance ngo 4-1, iJapan isendaweni yesibili, iNingizimu Afrika ilele kweyesithathu, emsileni kuvale iFrance.
Iqembu likaNotoane lizobhekana neFrance emdlalweni wesibili ozobe useSaitama Stadium, ngeSonto ekuseni ngo-10. IJapan izotholana phezulu neMexico enkundleni efanayo ngo-1 ntambama.
Ngokwesithathu iqembu lakuleli lidlala kuma-Olympics ebholeni labesilisa kanti alikaze lingene kweyomkhumulajezi. Ngo-2000 eSydney, baqeda endaweni yesithathu emuva kokunqoba umdlalo owodwa, badliwa kabili.
Ngo-2016 eRio, badliwa kanye badlala ngokulingana kabili, baqeda emsileni benamaphuzu amabili.