UMQEQESHI weBafana Bafana, uStuart Baxter akakulindele kubadlali bakhe ukuthi behlise umfutho ngoba bezodlalwa bebukwa izinyoni kwazise bakujwayele vele ukudlala ezinkundleni ezinkulu kukhala ibhungezi. UBaxter usho lamazwi asakuphoxa iNingizimu Afrika (ngokugqoza kwabalandeli ezinkundleni zakhona) izolo ekuseni eCairo lapho bekuqhubeka khona amalungiselelo e-quarter final ye-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) neNigeria namuhla ngo-9 ebusuku eCairo International Stadium.
Kunomuzwa wokuthi iBafana ibiwakhuphule kakhulu amasokisi ikhipha i-Egypt kwi-last 16 ngoba ibidlalela enkundleni ebimumethe abantu abangu-80 000. UBaxter ukuphikisile lokhu wase ekuveza ukuthi kungamphoxa ngendlela engachazeki uma abadlali bakhe bengehlisa izinga lokudlala ngoba bephoxwa ukuthi inkundla ayinabalandeli.
Kulindeleke ukuthi kukhale ibhungezi kulo deda ngendlale wenkundla kwazise osokhaya i-Egypt iphume ngenxa yonyawo lwesilomo esisha seBafana, uThembinkosi Lorch. “Kungangithusa lokho ngoba ekhaya sinazo izinkundla ezinkulu kodwa sikujwayele ukudlala kuzona sibukwa izihlalo emidlalweni yamazwe. Sike sibukwe abantu abangu-10 000 sidlala e-FNB Stadium, emumatha abantu abangu-94 000. Kuliqiniso ukuthi abadlali bakuthokozele ukudlala phambi kwabantu abaningi sishaya i-Egypt kodwa angikholwa ukuthi badinga abantu ukuze kuvukuzeke kubona ukuthi badlalela izwe labo futhi sebehambe ibanga emqhudelwaneni omqoka. Siyazi lo mdlalo uzoba nzima kodwa siyazi futhi ukuthi singawunqoba,” usho kanje.
Lokhu kunanelwe unozinti uRonwen Williams ekugcizelela ukuthi bengabadlali bayakuthanda ukudlala phambi kwabantu abaningi kodwa akuyona into enomthelela ongako.
“Kuhle manje ngoba nabadlali bami basemuva sebezongizwa kahle uma ngibatshela okuthile. Nezwi lami lizoke liphumule kulokhu kumemeza obekwenzeka kwi-last 16 laze lasha. Akuyona inkinga ukudlala enkundleni engagcwele.”
Lo nozinti ukubalulile nokuthi bayayiqonda imvunge eseNingizimu Afrika ngendlela abaqale ngayo. “Kuhlale kuwusizo ukugxekwa ngoba kuyakukhulisa. Siqale kabi vele ngakho bekufanele basihhewule ekhaya. Kumnandi-ke kodwa ngoba sesiphinde sabakhumbuza ukuthi asivakashile la e-Egypt.”
UBaxter akaphiki ukuthi iNigeria iseyiqembu elihlonishwayo e-Afrika. “Indaba yemiphumela edlule ayisekho manje. Uma sidlala kahle singawuthola umphumela. Kufanele ihlangane indlela esidlala ngayo uma sihlasela noma sivimba. Ngeke futhi sinake abadlali ngabodwana ngoba lokho kuzosibulala. Siyayihlonipha iNigeria kodwa asiyesabi nakancane,” kusho lo mqeqeshi ngokukhulu ukuzethemba.