FAIR DRAW FOR SIHLANGU IN COSAFA QUARTERS

MBABANE – Sihlangu will face Lesotho’s ‘Likuena Likuena’ in the quarter-finals of the COSAFA Castle Cup. The match is scheduled for June 3 at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. Anthony Mdluli’s charges avoided the gruelling group stages after being among six nations seeded in Wednesday’s draw at SAFA House in Johannesburg.

South Africa will host the 2018 COSAFA Castle Cup in Limpopo from May 27 to June 9 after Botswana pulled out early this year, citing budget constraints.
Mdluli, who led Sihlangu to an emphatic 1-0 win over Namibia on Thursday at the Mavuso Sports Centre in a friendly match that was part of Eswatini’s 50/50 celebrations, welcomed the draw but emphasised on the importance of respecting every opponent.

“It is not an easy draw because all teams have improved. We need to respect all opponents and put the needed effort to get result,” Mdluli who has been mandated by the Football Association (FA) to better the 2016 third place finish said.  
To date, Sihlangu has played 39 COSAFA Cup matches, winning 14, drawing 10 and losing 15 while scoring 38 and conceding 47.

The nation’s pride has reached the semi-finals of the COSAFA Cup on four occasions, proving their potential for upset results, but has yet to make that major leap into a final.
“We have a mixture of experienced and upcoming players in the squad. The older guys are helping the youngsters settle and with players like Tony (Tsabedze) giving the young boys direction even in camp, it is a positive sign. The spirit and unity is electrifying despite the rivalry in the teams they play for,” Mdluli added.

In the last five meetings, both Eswatini and Lesotho have celebrated two wins apiece. The other game ended in a stalemate. In the last COSAFA Cup match-up in 2015, Sihlangu won by 2-0.
Meanwhile, Mdluli replaced sacked Pieter de Jongh early this year and played to a goalless draw away in Seychelles in an international friendly in his first assignment.
 If Sihlangu see-off Lesotho, they will likely face Zambia or Namibia in the semi-finals or contest the Plate competition in the event of defeat.

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