KUZOKWENZEKANI ngekusasa lomqeqeshi weBafana Bafana uStuart Baxter njengoba isiphumile kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon)?
Lona ngumbuzo osezindebeni zabaningi abalandela unobhutshuzwayo eNingizimu Afrika. IBafana iphume kwi-quarterfinal ishaywa yiNigeria ngo 2-1 ngoLwesithathu ebusuku eCairo International Stadium, e-Egypt.
Umthetho uphoqa ukuthi uBaxter nabaqashi bakhe eSafa House kufanele bahlale phansi babhunge ngendlela leli qembu elenze ngayo kwi-Afcon. Ngemuva kwalokho kufanele kuthathwe isinqumo ngekusasa lomqeqeshi. Leso sinqumo kufanele silale ekutheni iSafa ineme yini ngendlela izinto ezenzeke ngayo e-Egypt.
Kunezikhathi lapho iBafana ebike ilishikishe kuchazeke bonke abaxhumene nayo ikakhulukazi kwi-Last 16 lapho imangaze khona i-Egypt ngo 1-0. Kuliqiniso nokho ukuthi ngaphandle kwalo mdlalo we-Egypt iBafana idlale ngendlela engaliqinisi nokho idolo.
Okuhlaluke ngoLwesithathu ukuthi iNigeria ibiwuhlele kangcono umdlalo. Ibhola belikuyona futhi kucaca ukuthi iBafana ayinalo iqhinga lokubhobosa udonga lweSuper Eagles.
Ngesikhathi ebuzwa uBaxter ngemuva komdlalo ukuthi usecabangile yini ngekusasa lakhe uthe: “Sekusondele ukuthi nginqume ngokuzokwenzeka ngekusasa lami.”
Ebuzwa ngokuthi ngokwakhe konakale kuphi, uthe: “Kunzima ukuphawula uma ushaywe ngemizuzu yokugcina. Kunzima ukuphuma nezinto ezinhle ezenzekile. Mhlawumbe ngemuva kwesonto ngingaphawula into ezwakalayo kodwa okwamanje kusenzima impela.”
“Kuningi esingakwenzanga ngendlela ebesifisa ngayo kulo mdlalo. Kukhona lapho besike singene khona ngibone ukuthi banenkinga kodwa kunqabe ibhola lokugcina ebelizosikhiphela kunozinti. Esikhathini esiningi siwaqeda ngokuhlasela amazwe kulokhu asikwenzanga. INigeria isihlakaniphele yasebenzisa amabhola ezimpondweni lapho bazi khona ukuthi banabadlali abanejubane. Abethu bebengasizani ngendlela. Isiwombe sokuqala asihambanga kahle kodwa kwesesibili ngibone singcono futhi bekusifanele ngisho ukuthola igoli lesibili.”
Lo mqeqeshi okuvela namahlebezi okuthi uzoshiya athathe umsebenzi kwelinye lamaqembu amakhulu kuleli, uzwakalise okukhulu ukujabula ngakho konke okwenzekile kwi-Afcon.
“Lesi sikwati siya kude. Ukudlala ngale ndlela sisabahlola nje, kukhombisa ukuthi ikusasa liqhakazile kwiBafana ngoba izoya emiqhudelwaneni nabadlali asebeke baba (emiqhudelwaneni) efanayo phambilini. Akukho engingakusho ngabadlali ngoba bazinikele kusukela siqala kwaze kwaba sekugcineni. Ngizishaya isifuba ngoba siqhubekile sazama ukunqoba ngisho selikhona ithuba lokuvala emuva silinde isikhathi esengeziwe.”
Lishaywe uSamuel Chukwueze igoli lokuqala esiwombeni sokuqala kwathi elokulinganisa leBafana lashaywa uBongani Zungu. Kudingeke iVAR kuleli kwase kuthi eliphule izinhliziyo zabo bonke abantu baseMzansi lashaywa uWilliam Troost-Ekong ngomzuzu ka-89.