History favours Eswatini against Basotho … as Sihlangu in make or break, kill or be killed Group B decider
MTODAY: ESWATINI VS LESOTHO AT KING ZWELITHINI STADIUM, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (5PM)
BABANE – The last time the two kingdoms faced off was in an official match in the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup 2021 edition in the group stage. Eswatini prevailed as 3-1 winners. Eswatini went on to finish as semi-finalists, bringing home a bronze medal after losing to west African guest nation Senegal. Interestingly, the very Senegal is awaiting one of the two kingdom nations, but Lesotho’s Likuena, as their national team is fondly known, take on Sihlangu (Eswatini national team) with a two-point advantage and on top of Group B this afternoon. Their rivals, led by Coach Dominic Kunene, were demoted to second after results on Friday afternoon. Sihlangu struck late in stoppage time to earn a point against Malawi, while Likuena narrowly beat Mauritius 2-1 to topple Eswatini. After the COSAFA Cup 2021 meeting, the two rivals played an international friendly early this year which Likuena still lost 1-2.
In other meetings, international friendlies that is, Lesotho edged Eswatini 1-0 in 2018 while in 2015; Eswatini won 2-0 away.
It is a tricky tie for Sihlangu as the Sothos know them very well as most friendly matches were with them or Botswana and Mozambique.
They also want to avenge the 2021 defeat and they will want to believe they can achieve it after stunning Malawi’s Flames when the latter was feared after their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Cup 2021 participation early this year. However, it will be no stroll in the park as Eswatini is proving tough to beat, even when their technical and tactical awareness is highly questionable – they resisted a well dominant Malawi who deserved better but the gods were not with them, instead with Kunene’s troops as 88th minute substitute midfielder won a stoppage time penalty for fierce and goal-agame forward Sabelo
‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa to score from the spot kick and make it 1-1. The result took Malawi out of the race for the quarterfinal spot and it is now between Eswatini and Lesotho.
The former has reached the semifinals five times but never the final, while Lesotho played three semifinals in a row between 2017 and 2019, finished third in 2018, fourth in 2017 and 2019 after coming short on all occasions.
It is a tie that has the pendulum swung to Sihlangu’s favour but it also does not guarantee a win – Lesotho do not have as much pressure as they only need a draw to go through and play Senegal in the quarters.
One can only expect that Kunene selects the best starting line-up and also makes his substitutions timely, after he appeared to keep a lost Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini for too long against Malawi yet he had options. While Eswatini fights for survival here,
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS:
July 6, 2021:
Eswatini 3 – 1 Lesotho
June 2, 2018:
Lesotho 1 - 0 Eswatini
May 20, 2015:
Lesotho 0 – 2 Eswatini
FRIDAY’S RESULTS:
Group B
Malawi Eswatini 5 penalty)
Lesotho 2 (Makha Thabantso 72nd)
Mauritius 1 (Prosper 50th) 1 (Muyaba 46th)
1 (Ndzinisa 90th +
10th,
TODAY’S FIXTURES:
Group A
Seychelles v Comoros 2pm
Moses Mabhida Stadium
Botswana v Angola 2pm
King Zwelithini Stadium Group B
Mauritius v Malawi 5pm
Moses Mabhida Stadium
Eswatini v Lesotho 5pm
King Zwelithini Stadium
SIHLANGU POSSIBLE STARTING LINE-UP:
● Sandanezwe Mathabela
● Kwakhe Tfwala
● Lindo Mkhonta
● Peter Dlamini
● Sihlangu Mkhwanazi
● Mzwandile Mabelesa
● Bongwa Matsebula
● Sifiso Matse
● Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa
● Junior Magagula
● Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze
ESWATINI
Coach: Dominic Kunene
Key players: Kwakhe Thwala, Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa, Mzwandile Mabelesa, Peter Dlamini, Junior Magagula, Sifiso Matse.
LESOTHO
Coach: Veselin Jelusic
Key players: Jane Thabantso, Tumelo Makha, Katleho Makateng, Motebang Sera.
Mauritius and Malawi will be in a battle for supremacy at the same time inside the posh Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Group A will also get underway with Seychelles taking on Comoros at Moses Mabhida Stadium, 2pm and also Botswana against Angola at 2pm inside the King Zwelithini Stadium at Umlazi. Meanwhile, Eswatini had opened the group with a 3-0 win against islanders Mauritius while Lesotho won 2-1 against Malawi. Fans can also follow the match live on SuperSport.