DE JONGH TARGETS ALGERIA, MOROCCO IN JANUARY

MBABANE – With Tunisia his next opponents, Sihlangu coach Pieter de Jongh is adamant countries like Algeria and Morocco can provide the perfect preparatory for the ‘nation’s pride’.

Sihlangu welcome Africa’s top ranked nation next March in the second match of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The Dutch mentor was speaking after taking his charges through their paces in a training session under wet conditions at the Prince of Wales Ground inside the country’s capital yesterday morning.

“Right now the kind of opponent is not important but it is all about bringing the group together. I don’t know how possible it is, but if we can get Algeria or Morocco in January, go there and have a game,” De Jongh said when asked on the kind of opposition he was looking for as a preparatory game ahead of the official Tunisia assignment.

Sihlangu camp started on Monday with 28 players but the size of the squad has been cut to 20 following injuries to the likes of tough-as-teak Tambuti centre back Siboniso Ndzabandzaba, industrious Mbabane Swallows midfielder Felix Badenhorst and agile Matsapha United shot stopper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala among others.   

 
De Jongh reckons qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations remains his main intention and is content with the preparations they have had so far.

“I’ve been here for 10 months now and I have an idea of the mentality and structures of the local game. I say, the intention is to qualify for the AFCON finals in 2019. We have had one game, a draw away in Niger and the next match against Tunisia is the most important,” he said. 

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