ANTHONY IN SIHLANGU, U-23 COACHING DILEMMA

MBABANE – Some people are born great; some achieve greatness and others have greatness thrust upon them.

Interim Sihlangu coach Anthony Mdluli finds himself a subject of the immortal words of William Shakespeare after being caught in two national team assignments in one weekend.

Qualifier

While Mdluli  is expected to lead Sihlangu in the ‘dead rubber’ Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifier against visiting Niger at Mavuso Sports Centre on November 18, he is required to perform similar duties for the national Under-23s side two days earlier. The latter visit Mozambique in an Under-23 AFCON Qualifier. With the national Under-23s having less tournaments (average one in three years), Mdluli was made to overseer the junior side as well.

However, under the current situation it makes it challenging because the two teams are in action on the same weekend and have to start camp almost at the same time.

Eswatini Football Association Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe conceded that it was not practical for the coach to lead both squads on the same weekend.

“The office is aware of the challenge, so there are arrangements that are being made. We will communicate the way forward soon as the office is working on the issue, “he said.
Efforts to get Mdluli’s comments were fruitless, as he said he had nothing to say on the issue. He referred comments to the EFA office.

Disastrous

Meanwhile, Sihlangu will be playing their penultimate game of the qualifiers and their disastrous campaign will end with a visit to Tunisia in March next year. They are out of the race to the 2019 AFCON finals in Cameroon with two games to spare after failing to register at least one win in four attempts.
For the Under-23s, their journey to the finals in Egypt next year is just beginning. They will  play the Mozambicans in back-to-back fixtures  in the first hurdle of the qualifiers.

The qualifying phase will involve three rounds with 30 teams beginning their campaign in two-legged encounters.
At least 13 have been given a bye and will join in the second phase of the qualifying rounds.

Only eight teams will qualify for the final tournament which will also act as part of the qualifiers for the 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo.

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