Lubhalwe nguMichael Madyira
Amaqembu ase-Afrika abekezelele umkhankaso onzima weNdebe yoMhlaba ye-Fifa yabesifazane yakulo nyaka kodwa i-Nigeria neBanyana Banyana bayithemba lokugcina lezwekazi.
Alikho iqembu lase-Afrika eselike lawina kulo mqhudelwano oqhubeka e-Australia nase-New Zealand.
I-Nigeria iyona kuphela iqembu eligweme ukuhlulwa kuze kube manje ngemuva kokukhungathekisa i-Canada ngokudlala ngokulingana ngo 0-0 ngesonto eledlule ngesikhathi i-Morocco ihlulwa i-Germany ngo 6-0.
IBanyana ithole ithuba lokuwina okokuqala ngqa kwiNdebe yoMhlaba kodwa iye yahluleka ukubambelela ekunqobeni yagcina iguqe ngo 2-1 kwiSweden.
Manje i-Nigeria igxile emdlalweni wangoLwesine lapho ezobhekana khona ne-Australia enkundleni yezemidlalo i-Brisbane.
“Ngabe ngingakwazi yini ukwenza lo mdlalo ube nzima ku-Australia? Nakanjani,” kusho umqeqeshi we-Nigeria uRandy Waldrum etshela izintatheli ngoLwesithathu ngokwe-Daily Mail.
“Sinethemba lokuthi nathi singazidala lezo zinkinga.
“Kuleli zinga konke kumayelana nokuthola imiphumela nokuthola amaphuzu. Mhlawumbe bengizokhathazeka kakhulu ukube besingawakhi nhlobo amathuba kodwa akunjalo.
“Sineqophelo eliphezulu eqenjini, sinabadlali abakwazi ukushaya amagoli futhi kufanele senze isiqiniseko sokuthi uma lawo mathuba efika siyawasebenzisa.”
Ukuhlula i-Matildas egcekeni layo kungaba impumelelo enkulu ku-Super Falcons ukudlala kwayo okuhle kakhulu kwiNdebe yoMhlaba kwaba ukuhlungela umdlalo wama-quarter-final ngo-1999.
Ngesikhathi i-Nigeria ikhathazekile nge-Australia, iBanyana igxile ku-Argentina ezohlangana nayo ngoLwesihlanu emzamweni wokukhuphula ithemba le-Afrika kweyomhlaba.
“Kuhlezi kukhona ithuba lokuhlengwa. Lokho kusinika isizathu sokuphuma senze konke ukusemandleni wethu,” kusho ukaputeni weBanyana uRefiloe Jane.
Izimbangi zabo zase-South America zizobe zisalimele ngemuva kokuhlulwa i-Italy ngo 1-0 emdlalweni wokuqala ka-Group G.
Esithombeni esigenhla: IBanyana Banyana ilungiselela umdlalo wayo ne-Argentina
Umthombo wesithombe: Banyana Banyana