Ngu Razeen Gutta
Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo umdlalo wamanqam wendebe yehlabathi, ibingumdlalo ongasoze ulibaleke kwimbali, apho nangaphandle kwenduku esemgqubeni kaKylian Mbappe, uMessi kunye neqela le iArgentina bebuye nayo lendebe.
Kulo mdlalo wamagqibela kankqoyi wendebe yehlabathi iFifa obudlalelwa kwibala lezemidlao iLusail eQatar, ihlabathi libukele umdlalo obungafani kwaphela neminye imidlalo.
IArgentina izibonakalise ukuba ibhinqe ngantoni kwimizuzu engamashumi amabini anesithathu uqalile umdlalo, emva kokuba uMessi ebeke iqela lakhe kwindawo entle kakhulu ngenqaku lokuqala.
Elinqaku lilodwa nje, limenze wabangumdlali wokuqala ukufaka inqaku lokuqala kwisigaba ngasinye semidlalo yendebe yehlabathi, ukusukela kwisigaba samaqela adibeneyo, isigaba samaqela okugqibela alishumi elinesithandathu, isigaba semidlalo emibini eyandulela amagqibela kankqoyi, isigaba semidlalo eyandulela umdlalo wamanqam kuquka nomdlalo wamagqibela kankqoyi kule tumente.
Ngaphambi nje kokuba kufikelele ixesha lekhefu uAngel Di Maria ufake inqaku lesibini, nto leyo ilenze laqhaqhazela ngumothuko iqela elizintshatsheli zalendebe zonyaka ka2018.
Iqela laseFrance khange lifumane nomtyhi wokuba likwazi ukufikelela nasebhokisni nakwisiqingatha sesithathu salomdlalo.
Ukanti kuthathe nje imizuzu elishumi ukutshintsha kwaphela imbonakalo yalomdlalo, ngethuba umdlali omnye oqaqambileyo efumana ithuba lokuba akrazule umnatha. UMbappe ulifakile inqaku lokuqala, kungekudala ubuye wafaka elesibini ebethelela ukuba iqela lakhe lize kulwela indebe yalo.
Lo mdlalo ubonakalisile ukuba ibhola ekhatywayo ngumdlalo wamathuba, kwaye kwisithuba esingaphezulwana komzuzu, umdlalo wamagqibela kankqoyi wendebe yehlabathi ubukhangeleka njengosele ufikelele kuvuthondaba.
Ilizwe laseFrance liwuthathele kulo lomdlalo – kodwa kwixesha elongezeleleweyo, umdlali oqaqambileyo weArgentina ubuyisele iqela lakhe ekubambeni intambo zalomdlalo. UMessi ebesendaweni efanelekileyo ngexesha elifanelekileyo, kwaye ngokuqinisekisileyo eli ibilixesha lakhe.
Noxa kunjalo uMbappe uqinisekisile ukuba kuzakubakhona isiphazamiso sokugqibela kulo mdlalo. Lo mdlali waseFrance wenze imbali ngokuba ngumdlali wesibini kwimbali, ukuba akwazi ukufaka amanqaku amathathu ngempumelelo kumdlalo wamagqibela kankqoyi wendebe yehlabathi, elandela umdlali welizwe laseNgilane uGeoff Hurst ngonyaka ka1996, nto leyo ibangele ukuba lomdlalo udlulele kwisigaba sokuba kukhatywe amapenathi.
Bobabini uMbappe noMessi bawafakile amanqaku, kodwa elinye iqhawe kulo mdlalo ibe nguEmiliano Martinez ozibonakalise njengonozinti obalaseleyo, njengoko ekhuphe ibhola kaKingsley Coman kunye noAurelien Tchouameni ebezakonzakalisa iqela leArgentina.
Emva kokufaka amanqaku amathathu iqela ngalinye, lo mdlalo uphele ngamanqaku amane kwamabini kwisigaba samapenathi kuphumelela iqela lelizwe elikuMzantsi Melika, nalapho uMessi ekugqibeleni efumene iwonga lokuphakamisa indebe yehlabathi – elona wonga libaluleke ukodlula onke akhoyo kwibhola ekhatywayo.
Oyena mdlali uqaqambileyo kwibhola ekhatywayo kwihlabathi liphela ufumane elona wonga libaluleke kakhulu – kwaye indlela alisebenzele ngayo iyancomeka.
Ngaxeshanye umdlali adlala kunye naye kwiqela iParis Saint-Germain uMbappe uhambe newonga le ‘‘golden boot award’’ emva kokuba ngoyena mdlali ufake amanqaku amaninzi kule tumente.
Umfanekiso ongasentla: Imibhiyozo kaLionel Messi
Imvelaphi yomfanekiso: @FifaWorldCup
