Sihlangu eager to draw first blood
MBABANE - Sihlangu look to start their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign on a high note when they visit Togo at Stade de Kegue in Lomé this evening.
The sides begin their journey to the finals to be held in Ivory Coast in June next year and they have been drawn in Group B of the qualifiers alongside Cape Verde and Burkina Faso who also meet later today. In the second of two straight unofficial friendly matches, Togo held Algeria to a goalless stalemate on April 10 this year. Paulo Duarte’s men had lost the first outing 1-0. Nonetheless, the Sparrowhawks are still on an unimpressive run of one win in four games since the turn of the year, which was a 3-0 demolition of Sierra Leone.
However, the West Africans will be confident of getting back on track when they take on an opposing side who suffered a 6-0 loss in the last meeting between the teams back in 2008.
Dominic Kunene’s troops, on the other
Sihlangu striker Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa. hand, were narrowly beaten by Botswana last Friday in a 1-0 defeat at the UJ Stadium in Johannesburg. A few days earlier, Sihlangu had beaten Mozambique by 1-0 in another warm-up match.
Prior to that, Sihlangu Semnikati were on an impressive four-game winning run and must now pick themselves up as soon as possible. Still awaiting their first-ever appearance on a continental level, the visitors go in search of a morale-boosting triumph on match day one. Having found the back of the net four times in his last five outings for Togo, 27-year-old Meme Placca is definitely one to keep an eye on. The ever-present Alaixys Romao, on the other hand, is expected to feature once again as he continues to surge up his nation’s all-time appearances chart.
Form
Sihlangu will minus the internationals in Bonginkhosi ‘Manyovu’Dlamini and Justice ‘Figa’ Figuaredo, but they will be buoyed by their promising showing in their last five outings to grind the result on the road. Both sides are in relatively good form coming into this one, so it should be exciting encounter.
TEAM’S STATS
ESWATINI:
Nickname – Sihlangu Semnikati
Coach: Dominic Kunene
Key players: Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa, Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze, Lindokuhle Mkhonta,
CAF Ranking - 45
FIFA Ranking - 147
Best achievement - COSAFA Cup bronze (2016, 2021) Last five outings (official tournaments):
AFCON Qualifiers
Preliminary Round
March 27, 2022: Eswatini 2-1 Somalia
March 23, 2022; Somalia 0-3 Eswatini
COSAFA Cup 2021
Third place play-off
July 18, 2021; Mozambique 1-1 Eswatini
(Eswatini won 4-2 on penalties)
Semi-finals - July 16, 2021: Senegal 2-2 Eswatini (Senegal won 3-0 penalties)
Group stages
July 14, 2021: Eswatini 1-1 Botswana
SIHLANGU POSSIBLE STARTING LINE-UP:
1. Sandanezwe Mathabela
2. Lindo Mkhonta
3. Mlamuli Msibi
4. Machawe Dlamini
5. Siboniso Mamba
6. Mzwandile Mabelesa
7. Fanelo ‘Order’ Mamba
8. Sifiso Matse
9. Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa
10. Junior Magagula
11. Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze
TOGO:
Nickname – Sparrowhawks
Coach - Paulo Duarte
Key players: Meme Placca, Alaixys Romao, Floyd Ayite CAF Ranking - 34
FIFA Ranking - 126
Best achievement - AFCON quarter-finalists 2013
Last five outings (official tournaments):
FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
November 15, 2021: Namibia 0-1 Togo
November 11, 2021: Togo 1-1 Senegal
October 12, 2021: Congo 1-2 Togo
October 9, 2021: Togo 1-1 Congo
September 5, 2021: Togo 0-1 Namibia
OTHER GROUP FIXTURE:
Burkina Faso vs Cape Verde
TODAY: