Lubhalwe nguMichael Madyira
Umdlali we-Orlando Pirates, uThalente Mbatha, usuke ebhentshini wazosindisa iBafana Bafana ekutheni ibambane ngo 2-2 ne-Uganda emdlalweni wokuhlungela i-Africa Cup of Nations ka-Group K ka-2025 e-Orlando Stadium ngoLwesihlanu.
Amagoli amabili amangalisayo abelandelana ngokushesha ashaywe uDennis Omedi noRogers Mato ngomzuzu ka-51 noka-53 aqhubekisele phambili i-Uganda ekutheni ingalinaki igoli likaLyle Foster alishaye emizuzwini engu-14 kuqale umdlalo.
Kodwa uMbatha, edlala okokuqala kuBafana, ube wusizo evika ukuthi iBafana Bafana ingathelwa ngehlazo ngesikhathi abadlali be-Uganda bebonakala sebethatha amaphuzu aphezulu.
Ngemuva kokuqoqa iphuzu ekuhambeni, i-Cranes iphume isibili ku-Group K ngaphansi kancane kwe-Congo Brazzaville ehlule i-South Sudan ngoLwesine.
IBafana isisendaweni yesithathu kuleli qoqo ngemuva kokuhlohla amagoli amabili ekhaya ngobusuku obekucacile ukuthi abadlali ngokuzimisela.
Umqeqeshi weNingizimu Afrika uBroos ngokumangazayo uqalise umdlali wasemuva weKaizer Chiefs uRushwin Dortley ngaphambi komdlali wasemuva weMamelodi Sundowns uGrant Kekana.
Njengoba uRonwen Williams engatholakali ngenxa yokulimala, unozinti waMaZulu uVeli Mothwa bekuthenjwe ukuthi uzovimba amagoli.
Unozinti weGolden Arrows, u-Ismail Watenga, nguyena obevimbele i-Uganda kanti ngemuva kwemizuzu emibili, waphoqeleka ukuthi avimbe ibhola lika-Oswin Appollis.
IBafana iwuqale ngendlela ethembisayo umdlalo – ngesikhathi uKhuliso Mudau evulele uFoster indlela, wahlula uWatenga ezama ukuvimba igoli lakhe.
U-Appollis uphinde wehluleka ukushaya igoli evinjwa unozinti waBafana Bes’thende kodwa kulokhu babhekane ubuso nobuso ngemuva kokuphaselwa ngukaputeni uThemba Zwane ngomzuzu ka-22.
Emuva kwemizuzu emibili, u-Elias Mokwana umangale ngendlela ageje ngayo ipali, kukhona uWatenga kuphela ngesikhathi ibhola eliphaselwe ngu-Appollis.
Emizuzwini eyisithupha kuqale isiwombe sesibili, i-Uganda ithole igoli elishaywe u-Omedi engaphandle kancane kwebhokisi.
Ubusuku bushube ngesikhathi uMato eshaya igoli elihlule uMothwa ekutheni alivimbe, labhakuzisa inethi.
Unozinti woSuthu ubese eqaphe ngelokhozi engaphakathi kwebhokisi wakwazi ukuvimba u-Allan Okello ocishe walishaya phakathi sekusele imizuzu engu-16 kuphele umdlalo.
Imizamo yokulinganisa ngamaphuzu ihlangatshezwe ukukhungatheka njengoba uTeboho Mokoena eshaye i-freekick engacacile.
UMbatha ube eseshaya into ecokeme ngokulinganisa, kwaba u-2-2, ngokulandela umzamo kaFoster ovinjwe sekusele imizuzu emihlanu kuphele umdlalo.
Esithombeni ngenhla: Umdlali wasemuva weBafana Bafana uSiyabonga Ngezana ezama ukuvimba umgadli wase-Uganda uRogers Mato.
Umthombo: Uganda Cranes