Dylan Bettencourt
I-Gambia ithuse umhlaba wonke ngokwenza kahle kwi-Africa Cup of Nations (i-Afcon) yakulonyaka kodwa ishaywe ngesigwebo sokuvinjwa ezinkundleni zemidlalo futhi ayikwazi ukusingatha imidlalo yamazwe ngamazwe.
Umdlali wasesiswini uSulayman Marreh uthe ukuvinjelwa kwenkundla yezemidlalo yezwe “kuyihlazo”.
Lokhu kuvinjelwa kwenzeke ngesikhathi i-Confederation of African Football (i-Caf) iveza ukuthi i-Independence Stadium e-Bakau ayikho esimeni esidingekayo ukusingatha imidlalo yamazwe ngamazwe.
I-Scorpions ihlabe umhlaba kanobhutshuzwayo umxhwele ngesikhathi ifinyelela kowandulela owamanqamu emdlalweni wayo wokuqala we-Afcon e-Cameroon, kodwa manje isiphoqeleke ukuthi idlale imidlalo yayo yasekhaya yokuhlungela i-Afcon kwelinye izwe.
Umdlalo weqembu lapho elizobhekana khona ne-Chad ngomhlaka-29 kuNdasa, wokuhlungela i-Afcon yangonyaka ozayo, usuhlelelwe ukudlalwa e-Morocco.
“Kuyadumaza kakhulu ukungakwazi ukudlalela ekhaya ngemuva komlando wethu wokuhlungela i-Nations Cup – futhi manje sesibhekene ne-Chad,” kusho uMarreh etshela i-BBC Sport.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi abantu abathintekayo kumele bazibheke bona ngoba lokhu kuyihlazo elikhulu ebholeni lase-Gambia. Ngiyethemba ukuthi bazokulungisa ngokushesha ngoba lokhu akubafanele abantu base-Gambia.”
Iqembu lesizwe lase-Gambia lagcina ukudlala e-Independence Stadium ngoNdasa ngo-2021 ngesikhathi lihlula i-Angola ngo 1-0 ukuze lingene emqhudelwaneni walo wokuqala ngqa we-Afcon.
“Besikubheke ngabomvu ukudlala phambi kwabalandeli bethu ngemuva kwesikhathi eside singadlali ekhaya,” kusho ukaputeni we-Gambia, u-Omar Colley.
“Ngiyazi ukuthi nabo bebelokhu belindile kodwa akusithina esiphethe lesi simo. Kuyihlazo ukuthi kufanele sidlalele kude, ikakhulukazi njengoba sibuya emqhudelwaneni omkhulu.”
I-Independence Stadium iyona kuphela inkundla yamazwe ngamazwe. Yakhiwa ngo-1983 futhi ayikaze ilungiswe kahle.
Umphathi jikelele wenkundla u-Ebou Faye uthe baba nomuzwa wokuthi lokhu kuvinjelwa bekulokhu kuza kusukela ngo-2019.
“Ngesikhathi i-Caf iqhamuka nezidingo zayo sabelana nohulumeni ngalokho. Uhulumeni wasinika imali yokuthuthukisa ezinye izindawo kodwa akwenzekanga konke,” kusho uFaye.
Umthombo wesithombe: @DailyMail