SIHLANGU LAND SAFELY IN TOGO, NO ‘FIGA’

MBABANE – Eswatini senior national team Sihlangu arrived in Togo yesterday without South Africa-based international Justice ‘Figa’ Figuareido.

The team travelled on Tuesday afternoon to South Africa, Johannesburg to connect their flight to Togo for the opening group stages game of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 Qualifiers set for tomorrow at 6pm. News from Togo is that the national team travelled safely but as much as coach Dominic Kunene only officially dropped Angola-based Bonginkosi ‘Manyovu’ Dlamini, Cape Town All Stars’ Figuareido was reportedly not on board the plane to Togo. “Figa is not here with us and we’re not sure he’ll join us,” an impeccable source in the squad said.

Successful

When Sihlangu bade farewell on Tuesday before one of its most successful coaches and now Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, Kunene said ‘Manyovu’ would no longer be in the squad for the away first leg while Figuareido was expected to join the squad en route to Lome, Togo. “It is all an administrative matter when it comes to ‘Manyovu’ otherwise the team is safely in Togo and we’ll get further reports from the technical bench. It’s true Figa couldn’t join us but the coaches will report back after the Togo match,” EFA Communications and Marketing Officer Muzi Radebe responded when questioned about the two players’ unexplained absence.

The squad’s coach had also responded in this manner on Tuesday but Cape Town All Stars claimed they knew nothing about a request for their winger to join the national team. The former Denver Sundowns winger was in camp with his team ahead of yesterday’s second match of the 2022 DStv Promotion and Relegation playoffs against Swallows. His manager, Zukiswa Simelukane disclosed to this publication that the player was not requested by the EFA, and he was in their plans for the playoffs. Sihlangu will play Togo tomorrow and then host Burkina Faso on June 7 before Cape Verde in September. The second leg matches will also extend to next year in March.

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