SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
UMQEQESHI weBanyana Banyana, uDesiree Ellis, ubonge abaqeqeshi bamaqembu abesifazane kuleli ngemuva kokuthi ezakhe zivikele iCosafa Women’s Championship zishaya iBotswana ngo-2-1 kowamanqamu eNelson Mandela Bay Stadium, ePort Elizabeth, ngempelasonto.
U-Ellis obechichima yinjabulo uthe ngaphandle kwabaqeqeshi abagcwele izinkalo kulona lonke elakuleli ngabe iBanyana kayikho kuleli zinga.
“Ngibonga kakhulu kubaqeqeshi abasabalele kulona lonke lakuleli, ngaphandle kwabo kasilutho. Benza umsebenzi oncomekayo. Ngaphandle kwabo ngabe kasikho kuleli zinga. Kufanele ukube lapho bekhona bayaziqhenya,” kusho u-Ellis. Bekungokwesine iBanyana inqoba iCosafa kulandelana. Seyiyiphakamise kasikhombisa le nkomishi.
Iqembu lakhe usebenze nalo izinsuku eziwu-25, lakhiwe abadlali abasebancane njengoba bengazange babizwe labo asebemnkantshubomvu, iningi labo elidlala phesheya kwezilwandle. U-Ellis ubancome ngokuba nesibindi abadlali ababizile.
Uthe abadlali banekusasa elihle. Ngokunqoba lo mqhudelwano uthe yisiqalo sokulungiselela imidlalo yokuhlungela i-Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) yango-2022 okuzobe kuhlungwa kuyo amaqembu azoya kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2023.
“Ngiyaziqhenya ngaleli qembu. Lakhiwe abadlali abancane abenekusasa eliqhakazile. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lizofunda okuningi. Sizobe sidla ngalo izicoco eminyakeni ezayo. Ngokunqoba iCosafa besiqala amalungiselelo emidlalo yokuhlungela i-Afcon neyeNdebe yoMhlaba.”
Mayelana nomdlalo wabo neBotswana, uthe: “Sakhe inqwaba yamathuba esihluleke ukuwasebenzisa. Bekumele sinqobe ngamagoli amathathu noma amane. Sibuye senza iphutha lokuyivumela izenzele umathanda iBotswana, yikho singenelwe yigoli.”
U-Ellis ubongele uHilda Magaia ngokuqokwa njengomdlali ovelele kulo mqhudelwano noSibulele Holweni ohambe phambili ngokushaya amagoli ayisishiyagalombili.
Amagoli ashaywe kwiCosafa yalo nyaka abe u-64 emidlalweni ewu-15. IBanyana ishaye awu-22 yangenelwa amabili ngokunqoba lo mqhudelwano, uTebogo Motlanthe oyisikhulu esiphezulu esibambile kwiSafa, uthe le mibiko ingamanga, iqembu lesizwe lizowuthola umklomelo wokuba ompetha.
“Ingamampunge le mibiko, iBanyana kukhona imali ezoyithola. ICosafa kayikhiphi mali, lo mklomelo uzophuma kwiSafa,” kusho uMotlanthe.