Umgadli odabuka eNingizimu Afrika, uLebo Mothiba, uyazethemba ukuthi iBafana Bafana inakho edingekayo ukuze ihlule iNigeria futhi igcine ikwazile ukuziqhayisa ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku.
IBafana namaSuper Eagles bazolwela amaphuzu amathathu emdlalweni kaGroup C wokuhlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026 eGodswill Akpabio Stadium, e-Uyo, eningizimu yeNigeria.
UMothiba, olahlekelwe yiqembu labadlali abangu-23 ngenxa yokulimala, uvakashele ekhempini yeBafana engazelele muntu ngosuku olwandulela uhambo lokuya eNigeria ngoLwesithathu.
Ngaphambi komdlalo oshubile, lo mgadli onesiphiwo sobuchwepheshe uthe unethemba lokuthi iBafana izohamba namaphuzu amaningi uma izisebenzisa kahle ngalolu suku.
Ngiyakholelwa kozakwethu
“Ngihlale nginethemba; Ngiyakholelwa kozakwethu neqembu lesizwe. Sinabadlali abaseqophelweni eliphezulu, futhi ngiyasho ukuthi sizonqoba uma sibhekene neNigeria,” kusho uMothiba etshela abezindaba zeSafa.
“Kodwa sidinga ukusebenzisana, senze konke enkundleni, sihlale sinethemba, futhi sidlale izinhliziyo zethu ngoba ungahlala uphumule ngemuva komdlalo.
“Ngakho-ke, ngenkathi usenkundleni, kufanele unikeze yonke into ngendlela yokuthi bangakwazi nokuhamba ngemuva komdlalo. Uma senza lokho, nakanjani sizonqoba sibhekene neNigeria.”
Lo mgadli oneminyaka engu-28 ubudala uphuthelwe yi-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) e-Ivory Coast ngasekuqaleni konyaka ngemuva kokulimala edolweni kusasele izinsuku ezimbalwa kuqale umdlalo wakuleli.
Yize ephoxekile ngokungadlali ku-Afcon, uMothiba usanethemba lokuthi uzobuya ngamandla abuyele eqenjini lesizwe.
Uphoxekile ngokungayi ku-Afcon
“Ngiphoxeke kakhulu ngokuphuthelwa yi-Afcon; wonke umuntu wayephoxekile, ngisho nomndeni wami, ngoba sasisele nemidlalo emibili ngaphambi komqhudelwano we-Afcon, engangigxile kukho ngaleso sikhathi.
“Ngazibona ngikhona neqembu ngaze nganqoba i-Afcon ngoba ngempela besineqembu elihle, kodwa yimpilo.
“Kumelwe ngihlale nginethemba, ngiqhubeke ngimomotheka, ngiqhubeke ngisebenza kanzima, ngibe nokholo, futhi ngikholelwe kimina ngoba nginezimfanelo. Ngiyazi ukuthi ngizobuyela eqenjini lesizwe.”
UMothiba akakhokhelwanga ngemuva kokuhlukana neqembu elidlala kwiFrench League 1 iStrasbourg ngemuva kokuhlala iminyaka eyisithupha naleli qembu.
“Angikakhulumi nalinye iqembu lapha eNingizimu Afrika. Angazi ukuthi kwenzekani, kodwa engigxile kukho wukuphulukisa idolo lami, ukubuya, nokuqhubeka nokudlala e-Europe.”