USEPHINDE wathola elinye ikhaya elisha umdlali ogcine ukubonakala kwiBafana Bafana kusaqeqesha u-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba.
Lo mdlali yinjini enguMay Mahlangu osuke eqenjini laseBulgaria wajoyina elaseKazakhstan, i-Ordabasy ngesivumelwano sokubolekwa kuze kube sekupheleni kwesizini.
UMahlangu osedlale emazweni ahlanganisa iSweden, Turkey, Belgium neBulgaria useyidlalele amahlandla awu-19 iBafana, ushiye iLudogorets ake wayidlalela ngisho kwi-Europa League ngaphambi kokuyishiya isigubhukane.
Njengoba isizini yaseKazakhstan iqala ngoMashi iphele ngoDisemba, lo mdlali oneminyka engu-29 ubudala ucele ukukhululwa yiLudogorets ngenhloso yokuya lapho ezothola khona ijezi. Isivumelwano ukuthi uyabuyela eBulgaria uma kuphela isivumelwano sokubolekana phakathi kwamaqembu womabili. Ugcine ukubonakala kwiBafana emidlalweni yokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba yanyakenye ngaphansi kobuholi bukaMashaba.
Ibimnandi impelasonto kuPercy Tau we-Union Saint-Gilloise yaseBelgium kwazise ushaye igoli lakhe lesikhombisa kule sizini yize umphumela ugcine umphikile. Kulo mdlalo ezikaTau zishaywe yiRoeselare ngo 2-1. Nakuba beshayiwe kodwa asemaningi amathuba okuthi iqembu likaTau lizibekisele indawo kwi-Europa League. Okubi nje ukuthi ngokwezibalo, awasekho amathuba okuthi uTau obolekiswe yiBrighton and Hove Albion yase-England angakhushulelwa esigabeni esikhulu kule sizini.
Nakuba edlale kahle eFrance, uLebohang Phiri weGuingamp, uhlulekile ukusiza iqembu lakhe ngesikhathi liguqiswa iLyon ngo 2-1, okubagcina bebambe ibhuleki emsileni. Kuyona le ligi, uBongani “Ben 10” Zungu usaqhubeka nokuzibuyisela emgqeni kusukela ehlinzwe edolweni. Ubengadlali kwi-Amiens ishaywa iMarseille ngo 2-0. Ezimnandi kuKeagan Dolly ngezokuthi ngeledlule uvunyelwe ukuthi usengabuyela enkundleni. Yize kunjalo ubengekho esikwatini seMontpellier esibambane neLille ngo 0-0 ekuhambeni. Omunye umdlali weBafana obonakale enkundleni uLebo Mothiba yize engazange asize iStrasbourg ibambana ngo 0-0 neCaen.
UThulani Serero ubengadlali ngenxa yokuthinteka kodwa iVitesse ayidlalelayo eNetherlands inqobe ngo 3-2 kwiWillem II Tilburg ngoMgqibelo. Omunye owaduma kwiBafana naye obesebhentshini kule mpelasonto uSiphiwe Tshabalala we-Erzurumspor yaseTurkey emangaze abaningi inqoba ngo 4-2 kwiSivasspor.
Kugcine kuphelile ngephupho leFA Cup kuKamohelo Mokotjo weBrentford eyebulwe ngoswazi yiSwansea ngo 4-1 ngeSonto. Lo mdlali weBafana ukhishwe ngomzuzu ka-78.