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EFA GRANTS PAPIC LEAVE

24/03/2019 08:24:00 BY SANELE JELE

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MBABANE – He will not be returning with the losing national team Sihlangu Semnikati this afternoon.

Serbian coach Kostadin Papic is in his home country. He had planned his trip in a way that after the match against Tunisia on Friday night, he would not return with the squad but proceed to Serbia.
According to a source close to the matter, the coach had requested to visit his home country.

“You will recall that he arrived here early January and he has never taken an off day. He has been hard at work. He needed some time with his family in Serbia,” the source said.
The source said the coach was happy with the performance of the team despite losing 4-0 away.
“He believes the team has a potential and there is no way he can leave for good,” said the source.

When reached for comment, Eswatini Football Association CEO Frederick Mngomezulu confirmed that the gaffer will not be returning home today.
“It was an arrangement between the coach and EFA that after the Tunisia game, we will allow him to visit his home country. He will return after seven days and continue with his job. Let me clarify that there is nothing sinister about this, it’s not that he has been fired or something. He is very much a coach of the national team,” clarified Mngometulu.

When asked about why the arrangement was made after the AFCON last game, he said the coach needed to visit his family.
“Since he was appointed as head coach, he has never been home, so we had to allow him to have time with his family after this AFCON game. Let me assure the nation that he will come back,” Mngomezulu said.
Effort to get comments from the Serbian mentor proved futile as he could not respond to questions posed by this publication via WhatsApp.

Sihlangu will arrive home today via the Ngwenya Border Post. The nation’s pride lost 4-0 to the Alain Giresse-led charges. On aggregate the score was 6-0.They are officially out of the AFCON 2019 qualifiers as they secured only a point out of a possible 18 points. Tunisia and Egypt have advanced to the next round of the continental tournament. Sihlangu will face Malawi on April 20 in the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier.