Dylan Bettencourt
Njengamantombazane amaningi kwizwekazi lase-Afrika, u-Esperance Habionimana wase-Burundi wafunda ukuthanda ibhola ngesikhathi ekhula edlala emaqenjini abafana.
UHabionimana (15), umdlali omncane kunabo bonke kwi-Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), uthe kunesizathu esilula sokungazi ngamaqembu abesifazane.
“Bengidlala ibhola kodwa bengingazi ukuthi akhona amaqembu abesifazane. Ngidlale eqenjini labesilisa nabafowethu ngoba bengingakaze ngicabange ukuthi akhona amaqembu abesifazane,” etshela i-BBC Sport Africa.
UHabionimana uthole indawo emqhudelwaneni wokuqala we-Burundi kwi-Wafcon futhi ukubongile ukuba ingxenye yalokhu, nakuba engakaze edlale.
“Angikaze ngicabange ukuthi ngiyoke ngifike lapha. Ngisebenze kanzima futhi ngijabule kakhulu ngokuqokwa,” kusho lo mdlali wasesiswini.
UHabionimana, omncane emndenini wabangu-12, wethulwa ebholeni ngomunye wabafowabo.
Bengiphuma ngiyodlala nabafowethu. Bengihlezi ngibatshela ukuthi bangivuse uma sebehamba ukuze sizohamba sonke,” kusho uHabionimana.
“Ngelinye ilanga owesifazane obeneqembu labesifazane wangibona ngidlala nabesilisa, wangicela ukuthi ngijoyine iqembu labesifazane. Wafika ekhaya wakhuluma nabazali bami.”
Kodwa unina akazange aweseke lowo mbono.
“Umama ubengitshela ukuthi akakaze ababone abantu besifazane bedlala ibhola waze wangibuza ukuthi kungani ngidlala ngenkani,” ekhumbula.
Ukungabaza kukanina kuyaqondakala njengoba iqembu labesifazane lase-Burundi lidlale umdlalo walo wokuqala we-Fifa ngasekupheleni kuka-2016.
Kodwa-ke i-Burundi iwuthuthukisile lo mdlalo kangangokuthi manje izokwazi ukuqhudelana esigabeni sezwekazi.
UHabionimana udlala ezweni lakubo kodwa unezifiso zokubonisa ithalente lakhe phesheya.
“Ngiyethemba ukuthi ngizothola ithuba lokudlala ibhola ngale kwemingcele yase-Burundi ngoba ngeke uphumelele uma uhlezi endaweni eyodwa,” kusho lo mdlali.
Umthombo wesithombe: @Goal