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SIHLANGU CRASH OUT

17/11/2020 00:21:00 BY THEMBA ZWANE

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(At Mavuso Sports Centre)

Eswatini ....................... (0)0

Congo Brazzaville ...... (0)0

MANZINI – Congo Brazzaville shattered Sihlangu’s dream of qualifying for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Cameroon.

The national team played to a goalless draw against the Red Devils of Congo Brazzaville here yesterday. This means Dominic Kunene’s troops are yet to qualify for the continental nations competition in history.

Eswatini remains at the bottom of Group I with just a point after playing four games. Sihlangu lost 0-2 in the first leg of the qualifiers against Congo Brazzaville last Thursday away.

They lost the first qualifiers game 0-3 to Guinea-Bissau, and then they lost 1-4 in the second fixture against Senegal’s Lions of Teranga.

Senegal has already qualified with 12 points at the summit of the log after beating Guinea-Bissau 1-0 on Sunday, thanks to Liverpool’s Sadio Mane’s solitary strike.

Congo Brazzaville has seven points following yesterday’s goalless draw against the local side and Guinea Bissau remains with three points after the loss against Senegal.

qualify

The draw means Sihlangu are already out and will not qualify for the finals of the AFCON next year despite two games left in the qualifiers, of which one is against Senegal away.

It was so near yet so far for Kunene’s charges yesterday with two glorious chances missed by the local side when they should have taken a lead.

Felix Badenhorst’s header in the 9th minute called the visitors’ goalkeeper Henri Mafoumbi into action as he parried off his effort which ricocheted off the bar for a fruitless corner-kick.

Substitute in Young Buffaloes’ Wandile ‘Skosh’ Shabangu should have put the home side in the lead 12 minutes before the end of regulation time but his well-crafted curved effort rattled the woodwork for a goal-kick.

It was Eswatini’s best chance to score as Skosh connected beautifully from Fanelo ‘Order’ Mamba on the right flank and had all his time to control and unleash a cracker but was unfortunate to miss when Congo’s goalie had been well-beaten.

Phiwa Dlamini also missed a glorious chance in additional time after a great pass from substitute Njabulo Tfwala to shoot over the target.

The Green Mamba attacking midfielder’s introduction changed the game for Sihlangu as there was creativity in the middle of the park but it was a case of too little too late.

In the end, it was a goalless draw and Sihlangu will have to go back to the drawing board for an improved performance in the next qualifiers.