Dylan Bettencourt
Iqembu lesizwe labesifazane lase-Botswana lifuna ukuqopha umlando ngokungena kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ye-Fifa okokuqala ngqa.
Iqembu lakuleli lidlale kahle kakhulu kwi-Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) kule nyanga – kodwa alenisekile okwamanje.
I-Botswana idlulele phambili njengelinye lamaqembu amabili aphume endaweni yesithathu esigabeni samaqoqo kanti manje ibhekhene nomsebenzi onzima wokudlala nosokhaya i-Morocco.
Kodwa-ke uma leli qembu lifuna ukuqopha umlando kuzofanele lishaye iqembu lase-Morocco elisefomini ngoLwesithathu ebusuku.
Ukuhlungela indawo yamaqembu amane ahola phambili kulo mqhudelwano kuzoqinisekisa ukuthi bazongena kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ye-Fifa.
Umakadebona odlala emuva uBonang Otlhagile ukholelwa ukuthi ezakhe zingaphumelela kwiNdebe yoMhlaba ezoba e-Australia nase-New Zealand ehlelelwe unyaka ozayo.
“Sijabule kakhulu futhi sizimisele ukusebenza kanzima ngoba sisafuna ukubonakala okokuqala ngqa kwiNdebe yoMhlaba,” kusho lo mdlali (35) etshela i-BBC Sport Africa.
“Konke esikwenzayo kulokhu kuzoba ngokokuqala ngqa, futhi sizitshelile ukuthi yithina esizoqopha umlando.”
I-Botswana iwuqale kahle umgqigqo wayo, ngesikhathi inenebule i-Burundi ngo 4-2. Ngemuva kwalokho ihlulwe emidlalweni yayo emibili elandelayo ibhekene ne-Nigeria kanye nelakuleli.
Yize besawine umdlalo owodwa kuze kube manje, umqeqeshi we-Botswana uGaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang ukholelwa ukuthi basengadlala kahle.
“Kumayelana nokuzilungiselela kahle nokuqhamuka necebo elihle ngokuhlala phansi nethimba labaqeqeshi sihlaziye abadlali base-Morocco – ukuthi baqine kuphi, nokuthi babuthaka kuphi – ukuze sisebenzise ubuthaka babo,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
“Ngiyethemba ukuthi uma sesibhekene ne-Morocco, mhlawumbe abanye abadlali bethu bazohlolwa bese beya phesheya.”
Imizuzu engu-90 nje kuphela emi endleleni yokuthi iqembu lase-Botswana liqophe umlando. Kodwa noma behlulwe ngoLwesithathu, iphupho labo lingase liqhubeke.
Ababili abahlulwe kweyomkhumulahezi e-Wafcon bazongenela umqhudelwano wamaqembu ayishumi ukuthola indawo yamaqembu amathathu okugcina.
Umthombo wesithombe: @CompleteSportsNigeria