MTHOKOZISI MNCUSENI
K ULELE kumqeqeshi weBafana Bafana, u-Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, ukuthi leli qembu livuke lizithuntuthe ngaphambi komdlalo wesibili ka-Group C neSenegal ngoLwesihlanu kulandela ukuyeka kwalo ithuba lokuvula i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ngewini.
Lona ngumbono wenkakha yomgadli weBafana obeyingxenye yeqembu elidle isicoco se-Afcon ngo-1996, uPhilemon “Chippa” Masinga.
IBafana ixine i-Algeria ekleliswe phambili e-Afrika kwaba kuncane indawo ngoMsombuluko ebusuku e-Estadio de Mongomo, e-Equatorial Guinea kodwa yagcina ikhale ngaphansi ngo 3-1.
Leli qembu ebeliqala ukuthola induku ngaphansi kobuholi bukaMashaba kusukela ethathe izintambo, yilona njalo eliwabone kuqala lapho egxunyekwe ngakhona amapali ngengcwenga yento egcine ivalelwe enethini nguThuso Phala.
Ngaleso sikhathi abafana baseMzansi bebemi ngenhla ngomjiko nejubane okushiye izihlabani zomhlaba uSofiane Feghouli, Yacine Brahimi no-Islam Slimani bebuka ngoba bexakwe u-Andile Jali, Dean Furman no-Oupa “Ace” Manyisa. Nakuba izinto bezibukeka zihamba kahle kodwa ukushweba iphenathi ethathwe nguTokelo Rantie yikona okubuke sengathi kuxegise wonke amabhawodi.
“Njengomqeqeshi uShakes kungumsebenzi wakhe ukuthi aqinisekise ukuthi abafana bayakhohlwa yindaba ye-Algeria. Akekho ongabonanga ukuthi siyihlulile ngomdlalo kodwa sashaywa ukuyeka kwethu amathuba. UShakes unomsebenzi olula lapha wokucija abafana ngokomqondo ukuthi sishaye iSenegal. Akukho okunye,” kusho uMasinga.
Ngokusho kukaMasinga owashaya igoli elafaka iBafana koweNdebe yoMhlaba okokuqala emlandweni ingcindezi ikuSenegal neGhana ukunqoba kithina ngoba akukho esaziwa ngakho e-Afrika.
“Kungumsebenzi kaShakes ukuthi abakhumbuze abafana ukuthi uma sihluleka ukuthola amaphuzu agcwele kule midlalo emibili esele, sibuyela ekhaya. Sibuyela kulokhu kugxekwa okusabalele ezinkundleni zokuxhumana. Sinabo abadlali esinganqoba ngabo le midlalo yomibili futhi yibona laba esishaywe nabo. Asikho isidingo sokushintsha izinto kodwa kufanele umqeqeshi ashintshe izingqondo zabadlali. Kufanele bazi ukuthi ithuba liyasetshenziswa ngoba umqhudelwano lo kungenzeka ungabe usalithola elinye. Ngizwelana noRivaldo (Coetzee) kodwa angikhali kakhulu ngoba uyabuya u-Eric (Mathoho),” usho kanje uMasinga ejobelela ngokuthi iSenegal iphethe izigora emuva okuyizindaba ezimnandi uma unabagadli abanejubane njengoRantie noPhala.
Ngemuva komdlalo uMashaba ebuzwa ngokulimala kukaCoetzee uthe: “Sengiliphonsile ithawula ngendlela abekhala nabexhuga ngayo. Sekungaba wumlingo wodokotela uma engaqhubeka nalo mqhudelwano.”