MTHOKOZISI MNCUSENI
UZOCACISA okuningi umphumela womdlalo wokuvula kwi-Group D ye-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), ophakathi kweNigeria ne-Egypt okungamanye amazwe athwelwe ngeqoma ukuthi agoduke nesicoco salo mqhudelwano oqale ngeSonto eCameroon.
Wumdlalo obhekwe ngabomvu yi-Afrika yonke kwazise kukhulunywe ngawo kakhulu ngaphambi kokuqala komqhudelwano, ozokuba seStade Omnisport de Garoua, namuhla ngo-6 ntambama.
INigeria esisidle amahlandla amathathu isicoco (egcine ukusinqoba ngo-2013, eNingizimu Afrika), ibhekene ne-Egypt yona esigcine ngo-2010 kodwa umlando ukhomba ukuthi yiyo ekhonyayo e-Afrika njengoba isibe ngompetha amahlandla ayisihlanu.
Akungatshazwa ukuthi kuzosiphuka izidindi njengoba kusobala ukuthi izwe elizonqoba lapha lisethubeni lokukhonya eqoqweni okukhona kulona iGuinea-Bissau neSudan.
Umlando ukhomba ukuthi la mazwe asehlangane amahlandla angu-18 ngokwahlukana kwemiqhudelwano eminyakeni edlule kodwa iNigeria iyona enerekhodi elingcono uma uwaqhathanisa.
INigeria isinqobe imidlalo eyisishiyagalombili kwathi i-Egypt yahlabana kwemihlanu. Eminye emihlanu badlale ngokulingana.
Emlandweni we-Afcon kuphela, irekhodi livuna iNigeria esinqobe kahlanu kweyishumi kwathi i-Egypt yanqoba emithathu. Badlale ngokulingana kweminye emibili.
Bazobe bengekho kwiNigeria oVictor Osimhen, Odion Ighalo no-Abdullahi Shehu ngenxa ye-Covid-19, ukunqatshelwa yiqembu nokulimala ngokwahlukana.
Kwi-Egypt, oMohamed Abo Gabal no-Ibrahim Adel ngeke badlale ngenxa ye-Covid-19 kanti uMohamed Hamdy uphoqeleke ukubuyela ekhaya ngoba elimele.
Akungatshazwa nokho ukuthi amehlo azobe ethe njo kuMohamed Salah weLiverpool kwabahamba ne-Egypt, noKelechi Ihenacho odlalela iLeicester City kwabafisela iNigeria okuhle.
Ngaphandle kukaCarlos Queiroz owake waqeqesha iBafana Bafana, ukusizwa kwakhe wuRoger De Sa wakuleli kwenza iningi laseMzansi lihambe nezikaFaro.