Menzi Magubane
I-Confederation of African Football (-CAF) ingahle inikeze i-Zimbabwe ne-Kenya ithuba lokudlala imidlalo yokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations (i-Afcon) yango-2023 ngesonto elizayo.
Phezu kokuba amazwe amabili aseningizimu ne-Afrika evinjelwe i-Fifa, azobe eyingxenye yamaqembu azohlungwa ukudlala eGoli ngoLwesibili oluzayo.
I-Afcon yango-2023 izobe ibanjelwe e-Ivory Coast kodwa ama-Warriors ne-Harambee Stars okwamanje bavinjelwe ukudlala kunoma yimiphi imiqhudelwano yebhola yamazwe ngamazwe.
Lokhu kulandela isinqumo se-Fifa sokujezisa imifelandawonye yabo ngokugxambukela kukahulumeni.
I-Kenya ihlezi esigabeni sesibili bese kuthi i-Zimbabwe ibekwe esigabeni sesithathu, kodwa ukuziphatha kwabo emidlalweni yokuhlungela kuzoya ngesigaba sabo sokuvinjelwa sekusele amaviki amabili ukuthi kuqale umdlalo.
“Lokhu isiqinisekiso sokuvinjelwa kwe-Kenya kanye ne-Zimbabwe yi-Fifa kuyo yonke imidlalo yebhola, kanti uma kwenzeka ukuvinjelwa kususwa kusasele amasonto amabili ngaphambi kosuku lwabo lokuqala lomdlalo wokuhlunga. Zombili izinhlaka zizothathwa futhi zizokhishwa kulo mqhudelwano,” kusho isitatimende se-CAF.
Isitatimende siphinde sachaza ukuthi amaqembu abo azokwakhiwa ngamaqembu amathathu. Iqembu lokuqala neliphume isibili kulawo maqembu azongena emqhudelwaneni wokugcina.
“Ngakho-ke, i-Kenya ne-Zimbabwe ngeke baqhathwe eqoqweni elilodwa ukuze kugwenywe ukuba neqembu elilodwa elinamaqembu amabili kuphela uma kwenzeka ukumiswa ukuvinjelwa kwawo womabili la maqembu.
Njengoba isivimbelo sisekhona, ama-Warriors ne-Harambee Stars babhekene nengwadla yokuphuthelwa umqhudelwano we-Afcon ngonyaka ozayo.
Ngemuva kokukhishwa esigabeni samaqoqo e-Cameroon ekuqaleni konyaka, abadlali base-Zimbabwe bazobonga ukuthola elinye ithuba lokuphinde bamele izwe labo kwi-Afcon ngonyaka ozayo.
I-Kenya yagcina ukudlala kwi-Afcon ebise-Egypt ngo-2019. Iye yaphuthelwa e-Cameroon kodwa abadlali bayo bazophatheka kabi uma bengase baphinde baphuthelwe umqhudelwano wangonyaka ozayo.
Umthombo wesithombe: @DW