England — DR Congo

I-Atlanta ibambe umoya wayo kusihlwa — futhi isikhathi eside yawuphefumulela ngendlela engafanele iNgilandi. Nasi isimo esingajwayelekile esichaza lo mdlalo: iNgilandi ibine-xG engu-2.04, i-DR Congo ibine-0.8 — kodwa kwakungamaLeopards ahole kusukela ngomzuzu wesikhombisa kuze kube ngomzuzu wamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu. Izinombolo zazikhombisa ukubusa kweNgilandi. Ibhodi lezikolo lalikhombisa okuhlukile ngokuphelele. U-Brian Cipenga ushaye igoli ngomzuzu wesikhombisa wanika iqembu lakhe inqaba yokuvikela. Uhlelo lwe-DR Congo belucacile kusukela ekuqaleni — ukuhlala phansi, ukuhlala luqinile, ukumunca, ukushaya lapho kuphuma ibhola — futhi imizuzu engu-68 lusebenze kahle kakhulu. Unozinti wabo wenza izinto ezinhlanu. Ibhakede labo lihlale liqinile ngaphansi kokubamba ibhola okungama-60% kanye namashothi angu-16. Ukuncoma lapho kufanele khona: ukuvikela okunesiyalo, okunesibindi. Ubuthakathaka? Ithuba labo elilodwa elikhulu, baliphutha — futhi lapho isimo siguquka, babengenayo indawo yokuhlasela esele yokuliphendula. Indaba yeNgilandi ihlaba umxhwele futhi iyihlazo ngesikhathi esifanayo. Amathuba amakhulu ayisikhombisa. Ayisithupha aphutha. Ukunemba kokudlulisela ibhola okungama-91% okungazange kukhiqize lutho olungena ngaphakathi kuze kube yikota yokugcina. Ikhadi eliphuzi likaJude Bellingham ngomzuzu we-19 — ukukhathazeka okujwayelekile — kwamlahlekisela inkululeko isikhathi esiningi engxenyeni yokuqala. UNoni Madueke, ithuluzi elibukhali kakhulu leNgilandi ngaphambi kokushiya kwakhe ngomzuzu wama-61, wayehlale ethola indawo, kodwa ibhola lokugcina lalihlale lidumaza wonke umuntu. Ukushintsha kabili — uBukayo Saka no-Anthony Gordon — kwashintsha isivinini futhi kwakha izimo zalokho okulandelayo. UHarry Kane. Umzuzu wama-75, ukuqeda komkaputeni. Umzuzu wama-86, igoli elishaywe kahle eduze eliqede konke. Isilinganiso esingu-8.11 — esingcono kakhulu enkundleni. Lapho iNgilandi idinga umuntu ozothwala isisindo somqhudelwano, uKane waletha ngesibindi esithulile. Ukuthi leli qembu belifanele yini ukuwina kuyaphikiswa ngempela — igebe le-xG belikhona, kodwa ukuguqula amagoli amabili kuphela kwamathuba amakhulu ayisikhombisa kuwumkhuba leli qembu elingakwazi ukuwugcina. Ku-FootLegion, lawo magoli kaKane angawakho phakade — akekho ozowathatha kuwe. Manje, kuwe: bekungukuhle yini ukuthi iNgilandi iwine, noma i-DR Congo yaphucwa umphumela ongabonisi umzamo wayo? Futhi uma iNgilandi iqhubeka nokuchitha amathuba amakhulu ngale ndlela — uKane angayithwala yedwa kuze kube kude kangakanani?