‘NO SALAH, MO MISERY’ FOR SIHLANGU TODAY?

My dearest readers...........The impending absence of popular England’s Liverpool marksman, Mohammed Salah in the visiting Egyptian squad for today’s AFCON 2019 qualifier against our hapless Eswatini national team, is a dampener, on many fronts.

I know of a couple of Liverpool fanatics, some of whom would not set foot in a local stadia even if they were attacked by a pack of bull-terriers, who have for days on end been, pleading with Yours Truly to organise tickets for today’s clash. But since the news of Salah’s injury and pulling out of tomorrow’s clash, the excitement has since evaporated like morning dew at the face of the sun.

They would now be more excited about an egg-and-spoon race than this AFCON 2019 qualifier, which to be frank and honest, became truly over a contest following the first leg 4-1 mauling of Sihlangu at the El-Salam Stadium in Cairo on Friday night.

Dismiss

That is why I want to dismiss with the contempt it deserves such talk of ‘having played better in the second half against Egypt or losing by only 4-1 as the last time we lost 10-0’. When has ever losing 4-1 suddenly been such a good thing? When has losing nje ever been ‘not such a bad thing’? What a farrago of nonsense!

I am as confused as a Buddhist in an abattoir! Is this the level we have reached now? When we are still chasing our first win and have a single point in the qualifiers yet we are supposed to celebrate and feel good about losing 4-1! Using the same analogy of a defeatist mindset, if we were to hold the Egyptians to a draw, by some miraculous chance, then we should all cascade to the streets around the country to celebrate and dance like nobody is watching? Come on, good people. Some of us refuse to be fooled.

Yes, Egypt is ranked second in Africa, have thrice been to the World Cup finals and have full professionals in their line-ups but weren’t the ‘Sparrow Hawks’ of Togo at the same level when they lost 2-1 to Sihlangu Semnikati at Somhlolo National Stadium in an AFCON/World Cup qualifier on June 8, 2008?

They had Emmanuel Adebayor at his peak at English side, Arsenal, Olufade, Mensah, Salifou, Tchangai – all internationals at the time - but Sihlangu were able to cause one of the biggest shocks in African football in Ephraem ‘Shakes’ Mashaba’s first game in charge on that memorable Sunday afternoon of June 8, 2008.

I still get goose bumps in my oval-shaped stomach thinking about that unforgettable victory courtesy of a Siza ‘King Pele’ Dlamini 55th minute headed goal and a cool Collen Salelwako finish in the 72nd minute of that memorable clash.
That was then. This is now.

Now we have a team that not only lacks the experience but are being led by a technical team that is as winless and inept as they come.
Sihlangu, under Anthony Mdluli, would struggle to beat a team of amputees playing on crutches somewhere on a beach in Sierra Leone. The squad’s schizophrenia is worse than an out-of-control roller coaster. Their bipolar nature is not good for our hearts. Their travel sickness can put many pregnant women’s morning sickness to shame!

As I have always said, it is not Mdluli’s fault. He is merely a pawn in a football political chess game played by the real coach behind Sihlangu, who interestingly was also watching at Al-Salam Stadium VIP arena on Friday night. As long as we allow this coach who even drills the team behind closed doors to dictate terms at the huge costs of the national team, we are headed fast to nowhere. It is about time we unmasked this Sihlangu coach who has turned the national team into his fiefdom.

Only then will we realise we have to use the remaining games to build a team for the future. Otherwise, if losing 4-1 to Egypt away is considered ‘not a bad result’, I wonder what losing at home would be classified as.

The truth and reality is that, you can drape GARBAGE in a nice-looking, flowery wrappings but it doesn’t change that it is GARBAGE!
It stinks from Cairo to Mavuso Sports Centre!

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