Dylan Bettencourt
I-African Cup of Nations yakulo nyaka igqamisa umlando walo mqhudelwano njengoba i-Egypt, i-Ethiopia ne-Sudan beqhudelana okokuqala ngqa eminyakeni engu-52.
La mazwe amathathu aqhudelana okokuqala ngqa kwi-Afcon eyaqalwa ngonyaka ka-1957. Ukudlulela phambili kwe-Egypt kube impumelelo enkulu okudlula lamazwe amathathu, njengoba isinqobe lo mqhudelwano izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.
I-Sudan ne-Ethiopia inesicoco esisodwa iqembu ngalinye.
I-Nations Cup yasungulwa ngo-1956 lapho abamele i-Egypt, i-Sudan, i-Ethiopia kanye neNingizimu Afrika behlangana ngesikhathi kunengqungquthela ye-FIFA ngethemba lokusungula umqhudelwano wase-Afrika.
Ngonyaka olandelayo, la maqembu amathathu angena enkundleni emqhudelwaneni wokuqala. INingizimu Afrika yachithwa ngemuva kokwenqaba ukuthumela ithimba elixube izinhlanga.
I-Egypt yashaya i-Ethiopia ngo 2-1 kowamanqamu nokwenza kube ibona abokuqala ngqa ukuwina lo mqhudelwano.
Amaqembu amabili ase-Mpumalanga ne-Afrika abuyelile ngemuva konyaka wango-1960 kanye nonyaka wama-70s, nokuduma kwezemidlalo kwehla kakhulu emazweni abo kusukela lapho.
Nokho, omakhelwane be i-Egypt, okuyi-Sudan ne-Ethiopia asebesele iwona kuphela amaqembu aqhamuka e-Mpumalanga ne-Afrika aphakamise indebe ehlonishwayo eminyakeni edlule.
Sekuphele iminyaka eyishumi nantathu la mazwe womabili athathwa njengezingqalabutho zebhola e-Afrika, engaayi kwi-Afcon, i-Ethiopia yabuya ngo-2013 ngemuva kweminyaka engu-31 ingabambi iqhaza kanjalo ne-Sudan yabuya ngo-2008 ngemuva kweminyaka engu-32 ingabambi iqhazi kulomqhudelwano.
“Izinselelo zezombangazwe nezomnotho zibe neqhaza ekubuyiseleni emuva i-Sudan ne-Ethiopia,” kuchaza uSolwazi uPeter Alegi oqhamuka enyuvesi ebizwa ngokuthi i-Machigan ku-BBC.
“Kodwa muva nje babukeka benza kahle futhi bakwenza lokhu ngesikhathi esihle sokwandiswa kwe-Afcon nendebe yomhlaba kusukela ngonyaka ka-2026.”
Izimpi zombango eziletha, ukuntengantenga kwezombusazwe kanye nokuwohloka komnotho kuwo womabili la mazwe kukhubekise kakhulu ukukhula kokuthuthukiswa kwebhola.
Lezi zinkinga zisaqhubeka nokuwakhungatha womabili la mazwe kodwa kuvuselelwe ithemba njengoba womathathu la maqembu aphinde ahlangana kwi-Afcon.
I-Ethiopia isiphumile vele kulo mqhudelwano kodwa ukunqoba kwe-Sudan ibhekene ne-Egypt kungase kuyenze idlulele emzuliswaneni womkhumulajezi okokuqala ngqa eminyakeni engu-10.
Umthombo wesithombe: @CAFOnline