South Africa — South Korea

Nansi imidlalo bekungekho muntu obekayibona izofika — kodwa mhlawumbe bekufanele siyibone. I-Estadio BBVA eMonterrey ibisingethe okwakubonakala ephepheni njengokungafani. IKorea Eseningizimu: 68% yokugcinwa kwebhola, 89% yokudlulisa ibhola ngendlela efanele, amakhona ayisithupha. INingizimu Afrika: 32% yebhola, emuva kodonga, ilwela yonke ibhola lesibili. Kodwa isikolo besifundeka 1:0 kuBafana Bafana. Ibhola, wena mqambimanga ononya futhi omuhle. I-xG ixoxa indaba eqotho: INingizimu Afrika 1.1, IKorea Eseningizimu 1.0. Cishe kuyafana. AbaseKorea balawula ukugcinwa kwebhola kodwa abazange bawuqede ngempela umgwaqo waseNingizimu Afrika. Womabili amaqembu abe nethuba elilodwa elikhulu — womabili aliphutha. Umehluko? UThapelo Maseko uguqule isikhathi sekhwalithi emsulwa ngomzuzu wama-63, futhi iKorea Eseningizimu ayizange iguqule lutho. Manje asibe nobulungiswa kuwo womabili amaqembu. Ukugcinwa kwebhola kweNingizimu Afrika kwehle kwafinyelela ku-25% engxenyeni yesibili — babebambekile futhi bephefumula kanzima. Ikhadi eliphuzi lika-Aubrey Modiba ngomzuzu wama-73 livela ekuphelelweni ithemba, hhayi ekuziphatheni kahle. Iphutha elikhulu eliphuthelwe belingaba yisivikelo esibulala umdlalo ufe nya. Ukushintsha kathathu kweKorea Eseningizimu ngesikhathi sekhefu — okuhlanganisa nokungeniswa kukaSon Heung-min, omunye wabadlali abahlaselayo abayingozi kakhulu emhlabeni webhola — kuguqule isivinini kodwa hhayi umphumela. Ngisho noSon akakwazanga ukuvula umgwaqo obambelezwe nguRonwen Williams, umdlali ovelele kakhulu emdlalweni onesilinganiso esingu-7.69 kanye nezinto ezimbili ezibalulekile ezisindisiwe. Unozinti womdlalo, akukho mpikiswano. UYoung-woo Seol bekuyisibani esikhanya kakhulu saseKorea Eseningizimu ngesilinganiso esingu-7.41, kodwa ibhola lokugcina belihlala libaphoxa lapho kubaluleke kakhulu. URelobohile Mofokeng ufanise leso silinganiso esingu-7.41 ngaphambi kokukhishwa ngomzuzu wama-80 — umsebenzi ongapheli owaphoqa iKorea Eseningizimu ukuba igcine iso elilodwa ekuhlaseleni ubusuku bonke. UMaseko ngokwakhe washintshwa ngomzuzu wama-75, ilungelo lomshayi magoli kanye nomshwalense womqeqeshi ngesinyathelo esisodwa. Iphupho laseNingizimu Afrika lihlala liphila. IKorea Eseningizimu kufanele ihlangane ngokushesha — indlela yabo yokuphuma isisheshisa kakhulu. Ebaleni imiphumela ingahlala iguqulwa. Ku-FootLegion, amagoli izwe lakho eliwashayayo angawakho phakade. Imibuzo emibili yamazwana: Ingabe uSon Heung-min wangeniswa sekwephuze kakhulu — bekufanele yini aqale? Futhi ingabe ubuhlakani bokuvikela baseNingizimu Afrika buyisibonelo sangempela, noma isimangaliso sobusuku obubodwa?