IBAFANA Bafana ihlela ukudlala nezikhondlakhondla zamazwe ngaphambi kwe-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ezoqala ngoJuni 21 kuya kuJulayi 19 e-Egypt.
Isolezwe lithole ngomthombo walo ukuthi ngemuva kokuba iBafana ikwazile ukuhlungela ukuya kwi-Afcon, uStuart Baxter ongumqeqeshi unikeze izikhulu zeSouth African Football Association (Safa) uhlu lwamazwe afuna ukungcweka nawo ngaphambi kokuya e-Egypt. Ngokusho komthombo ongaphakathi kwiSafa, kwafunwa uBaxter phesheya kwezilwandle phezulu kukhona iBrazil esendaweni yesithathu ezilinganisweni zeFifa, iSpain ekweyesishiyagalombili bese kuba yiBelgium ekleliswe endaweni yokuqala.
Umthombo uqhube wathi e-Afrika kukhona iSenegal esendaweni yokuqala kuleli zwekazi bese iba kweyesi-24 emhlabeni.
Elesibili yiTunisia ekleliswe endaweni yesibili bese iba kweyesi-28 emhlabeni jikelele. Kuthiwa kukhona neMorocco esendaweni yesithathu iphinde ibe kweyesi-44 kwezomhlaba. Umthombo uveze ukuthi amanye ala mazwe sekuxhunyaniwe nawo kanti amanye kusazothunyelwa izicelo kuwo.
“UBaxter ulibeke ngembaba elokuthi ufuna ukungcweka namazwe aphezulu ngaphambi kokuqala kwe-Afcon. Nakuba kungakacaci njengoba kusalindelwe izimpendulo futhi kusazoxhunyanwa namanye kodwa imidlalo yokungcweka kubukeka izoba mibili noma mithathu. UBaxter uveze ukuthi ukudlala nala mazwe kuzomsiza kakhulu njengoba ezimisele ukubalwa namazwe azobanga inkomishi ye-Afcon,” kubeka umthombo.
Uveze ukuthi izinkundla okuzodlalelwa kuzona bezingakaqokwa, okwamanje ukuthi eminye imidlalo izodlalelwa ekuhambeni, kuthi eminye ibe kuleli.
Kuthintwa uDominic Chimhavi okhulumela iSafa uziqinisekisile izindaba zokuthi usewavezile amazwe uBaxter afuna ukudlala nawo ngaphambi kwe-Afcon. Mayelana namagama uthe ngeke akwazi ukuphuma nempendulo ecacile.
“Okhuluma ngakho ngikwazi kahle. Engingeke ngikuqinisekise amazwe. Iningi lamazwe esisaxoxa nawo asikakafiki ndawo nawo mayelana nezimpendulo. Mhlawumbe maphakathi nenyanga kukhona okuphathekayo esizobe sesinakho,” kubeka uChimhavi.
IBafana ithole ithikithi eliya e-Egypt ishaya kamnandi ngo 2-1 iLibya. Womabili amagoli avalelwe enethini uPercy Tau.
Uma sigcina ngokuphumelela isifiso sikaBaxter, akubuzwa ukuthi izakhamuzi zaKwaZulu-Natal zingakujabulela ukusingatha omunye wemidlalo wezikhondlakhondla zamazwe. Umcimbi wokuqhathwa kwamazwe azoshukana kowe-Afcon kulindeleke ukuthi ube ngo-Ephreli 12, eCairo okuyinhlokodolobha yase-Egypt.