Menzi Magubane
I-Morocco izihola phambili ku-Group K ngemuva kokuhlula iBafana Bafana ngo 2-1 emdlalweni wokuvula wokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) yango-2023 enkundleni yezemidlalo iPrince Moulay Abdellah, e-Rabat.
Amagoli ashaywe ngesiwombe sesibili kaYoussef En-Nesyri no-Ayoub El Kaabi aqede umdlandla weqembu lasekhaya phambi kwabalandeli abangu-45,000 ngoLwesine ebusuku.
I-Morocco ize kulo mdlalo iyizintandokazi futhi iyona engase idle umhlanganiso eqoqweni lamaqembu amathathu. Iqembu lesithathu ku-Group K i-Liberia. I-Zimbabwe beyizoba iqembu lesine kodwa yaxotshwa emidlalweni yokuhlungela ngenxa yokuthi i-Fifa imise i-Zimbabwe Football Association.
Ukuwina kwenze ukuthi i-Morocco igcine irekhodi layo lokungahlulwa ekhaya kusukela ngo-2019.
Iqembu likaHugo Broos alizange lizihlaze. Lidlale kahle futhi limangaze i-Atlas Lions – ikakhulukazi esiwombeni sokuqala.
IBafana imangaze osokhaya ngokubahola phambili ngomzuzu wesishiyagalombili umdlalo uqalile.
Umgadli uLyle Foster ushayele iBafana igoli lakhe lokuqala ngemuva kokuthola ibhola elihle likaSphephelo Sithole naye obedlala okokuqala.
Ngemuva kwalelo goli abase-Morocco bebegcwele yonke indawo befuna ukushaya igoli kodwa ukaputeni uRonwen Williams wenze konke okusemandleni ukukuvimba lokho.
UWilliams ugcine iBafana isemdlalweni ngokuvimba amagoli amabili ka-En-Nesyri ngomzuzu ka-16 noka-17.
Lo kaputeni uvimbe amagoli amahlanu esiwombeni sokuqala, eqinisekisa ukuthi iBafana iya ekhefini ihamba phambili ngegoli.
Kodwa-ke, esiwombeni sesibili, i-Morocco ibuye ngelinye igiya .
Kubathathe imizuzu eyisithupha kuphela ukuthi u-En-Nesyri ashaye igoli lokulinganisa ngesikhathi edlula ezokuvikela zeBafana.
Umgadli u-El Kaabi unikeze osokhaya igoli lokuwina ngomzuzu ka-87 ngesikhathi iBafana iphinde ibanjwa ingazelele.
Ukuhlulwa kweBafana kungokokuqala ngqa ibhekene neqembu laseNyakatho Afrika kweyokuhlungela i-Afcon.
Khonamanjalo, iBafana iphoxekile ngesikhathi i-Iran ihoxisa umdlalo wabo wobungani.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi umdlalo wayo ne-Morocco ngowokugcina ekhalendeni lamazwe le-Fifa likaNhlangulana.