Umdlali wasemuva uGrant Kekana udwebe isithombe sekhempu yeBafana Bafana egcwele ithemba ngaphambi komdlalo wabo wokugcina obalulekile kaGroup E we-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) eqhubekayo lapho izobhekana khona neTunisia e-Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium eKorhogo ngoLwesithathu (ngo-7pm SA).
“Siyilungiselele kahle iTunisia. Wonke umuntu uyazethemba futhi wonke umuntu uwubheke ngabomvu lo mdlalo. Ngokusobala, wumdlalo omkhulu futhi asifuni ukusheshe sigoduke, ngakho sizokwenza konke okusemandleni ukuthola umphumela omuhle sibhekene neTunisia,” kusho uKekana esithangamini nabezindaba eKorhogo izolo.
Ukuze ingene esigabeni somkhumulajezi, iBafana kumele igweme ukuhlulwa namuhla kusihlwa. IBafana inethuba lokudlulela phambili uma iba seqoqweni lamaqembu amane aqede endaweni yesithathu uma ihlulwa yiTunisia bese iMali ihlula iNamibia emdlalweni kaGroup E owuchungechunge.
Umqeqeshi weBafana u-Hugo Broos ukholwa wukuthi basethubeni lokudlulela esigabeni sika-16, ekhala ngokuthi iTunisia kusasele usuku lokuzilungiselela njengoba idlale umdlalo wayo wokugcina ngoMgqibelo, lapho idlale khona ngokulingana neMali, kwathi i-SA yashaya iNamibia ngo 4-0 ngeSonto. Yize kunjalo, uBroos usethembeni ekutholeni ukunqoba kweNamibia.
“Inhloso yethu yokuqala bekuwukudlula isivivinyo sokuqala sokuphuma esigabeni samaqoqo futhi ngicabanga ukuthi likhona ithuba lokuthi sikuzuze lokho kusihlwa. Ukuthi iTunisia ibe nosuku olulodwa ngaphezu kwethu ukulungiselela lo mdlalo kungenza ngingakhululeki kodwa ngemuva kokunqoba iNamibia ngeSonto, sithole umfutho,” kusho uBroos.
“Siyazi ukuthi yini esingayithola namhlanje ebusuku, ngakho sizobe sesimi ngomumo. Sizolwela konke kusasa ukuze sibe nomphumela omuhle. Uyini umphumela omuhle? Okokuqala nje akuhlulwa futhi lokho kufanele kusinike isiqiniseko sokudlulela emzuliswaneni olandelayo.”
Lo mqeqeshi weBafana uphinde wagcizelela ukuthi iTunisia iseyiqembu elihle, nakuba ihlulwe yiNamibia emdlalweni wayo wokuqala, lapho ecabanga ukuthi bayidicilele phansi iBrave Warriors.
“Siyazi ukuthi iTunisia iyiqembu elihle futhi angiwubheki umdlalo wabo wokuqala [ngoba] ngicabanga ukuthi bayibukela phansi iNamibia yingakho behlulwe umdlalo,” kusho uBroos.