Times Of Swaziland: SOUTH AFRICA LIKE HOME - DOMINIC

SOUTH AFRICA LIKE HOME - DOMINIC
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Sanele Jele on 28/03/2023 09:00:00


MBABANE – National football team Coach and Captain Dominic Kunene and Lindo
Mkhonta feel at home in South Africa.
They made these comments during a pre-match ahead of their game against Cape
Verde today. The pre-match was held at Mbombela Stadium in South Africa. The two
sides clash this afternoon (3pm) in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier
to be staged in the city of Mbombela, South Africa. Sihlangu are hosting away
from home, as they do not have a stadium that meets the standards set by
international bodies, especially the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Captain, Lindo Mkhonta said playing in South Africa and using the venue as
their own was not a challenge. “When we are in South Africa, it’s like we
are at home. We can be happy if more fans come to support us here, not only fans
from home, but South Africans who live around this city. Playing away from home
will not be a problem, we just appeal for support and prayer from our fans,”
said Mkhonta.
defence
He also highlighted that despite that they will be in defence mode, they will
score a goal in Mbombela. “We have to defend well first before thinking about
scoring a goal. One thing for sure is that we will score a goal here,” said
the Zesco United right-back. He said that he watched the first leg and was
impressed with his teammates. “It was not an easy game. It was an achievement
to get a draw. We know what is expected of us and I believe in my teammates even
in the second leg, we will do better,” he said. Meanwhile, Coach Kunene first
thanked his players for fighting for a point away from home.
tough
“We anticipate a tough game tomorrow. Ours is to make sure we do not lose the
ball cheaply. As much as we want to score a goal, we must protect our
goalposts,” said Kunene. He said they will also try to create more scoring
opportunities. “South Africa is like home, so we will use that advantage,”
he said. Kunene said his long-term goal was to build confidence among his
players. Asked if the alleged infighting in the Eswatini Football Association
(EFA) did not affect the players, he chose to not comment on that, saying it was
an administrative matter.