‘BIRDS’ STARS TO MISS COSAFA CUP

MBABANE – Mbabane Swallows stars are set to miss this year’s edition of the COSAFA Castle Cup.

The red and white giants’ players, who form a large chunk of the national team base – with as much as seven players in the starting line-up in the last match - continue to make strides in the CAF Confederations Cup and with the COSAFA Cup dates clashing with the continental inter-club tournament, they will not travel to South Africa.
New Sihlangu coach Pieter de Jongh rightly predicted the situation when he announced his squad, omitting Swallows players as they continue with their African adventure. The CAF Confederations Cup group stages, whose draw will be conducted next Wednesday, begin on May 12 and July 7, while the COSAFA Cup is scheduled for June 25- July 9. 

Sihlangu will head to South Africa in a quest to better last year’s third-place finish in the COSAFA Castle Cup.  The Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) has confirmed the dates for all their regional competitions this year.
The COSAFA Castle Cup will be played in South Africa’s North West Province from June 25 to July 9, with the regional Under-20 competition being staged from December 1-10.
Mauritius will host the COSAFA Under-17 Championship from July 21-30, while the COSAFA Women’s Championship is set to be staged in Zimbabwe from September 13-24.

“The decision on whether Swallows players will not be allowed to join Sihlangu will be taken by the FA executive in their meeting next week,” said Football Association (FA) Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe when reached yesterday.  Swallows Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sibusiso Manana said they will map a way forward with the FA on the matter.
“It is something that the team will discuss with the FA as the mother body and forge a way forward,” Manana said.

Sihlangu bagged bronze in last year’s competition in Windhoek, Namibia after beating guest nation Democratic Republic of Congo by a Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa’s solitary strike in the third place play-off. The nation’s pride is expected to be seeded in this year’s tournament and avoid the gruelling group stages following their strides in the FIFA rankings.
Following the latest rankings update by FIFA, Sihlangu are now placed 88 in the world and second in COSAFA, the country’s best position in history that tumbled the 92nd position achieved in October 1992.

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