SIHLANGU, MADAGASCAR IN TITANIC GROUP B DECIDER

Sihlangu players in training.

(In Rustenburg, South Arica,
courtesy of Nando’s)

RUSTENBURG – Tonight is the night.  Sihlangu have come so far to let it go now.  The nation will hold its breath once again, as the nation’s pride takes to the field to what has turned into their own slaughterhouse away from home, the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace.

The gods could be smiling on the local squad after the COSAFA Cup Organising Committee changed the game’s venue from the Olympia Park to the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace at the eleventh hour.

For Sihlangu, this could have sounded like sweet melody as they have played and won their opening two games against Tanzania and Lesotho.
The squad knows it will not be easy against the tournament’s surprise package, Madagascar, who are joint leaders in Group B alongside the locals. Both countries are tied at six points after their opening two rounds of matches.

Madagascar need a draw to qualify for the tournament’s quarter-finals, while the locals need an outright win to make the Ghana dream a reality. Should Sihlangu win tonight, then they will face guest nation Ghana on Monday.
Interviewed yesterday shortly after their training session at the Olympia Park Stadium, squad coach Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga said they were going to approach the match differently.

‘They (Madagascar) are compact and while they may not be individually talented compared to our players, they play as a team. This means it will not be easy playing against them or trying to break them down. They have conceded just one goal, which means they are good defensively.

‘‘We have to work on our combinations. We will not sit back because we need the win but we will be cautious while going forward,” said Bulunga.
Sihlangu are now firm favourites to advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament after their impressive showing in the opening two games against Tanzania and Lesotho.

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