COSTLY ANGOLA TRIP AWAITS SIHLANGU

MBABANE – Sihlangu’s trip to Angola to honour next month’s 2026 World Cup Qualifier will cost EFA an arm and a leg.

Angola will host the senior national football side at 11 November Stadium in the 2026 International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) Qualifiers match. The clash is set for June 7 as per the Angolan Football Federation official social media page. This means that Eswatini Football Association (EFA) will dig deep into their pockets to honour the fixture. Calculations made by this publication suggest that EFA might spend at least E700 000, should a delegation of over 30 people travel to Angola. Nevertheless, the delegation size remains unknown as it will be confirmed when Sihlangu departs for their match. Worth noting is that it would not be the first time these two nations meet, as they last played in 2019. However, it was a different tournament which the then Kostadin Papic-led squad drew against Angola, proceeding to next stage of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers after winning on penalties. Angola have already started preparations, playing two friendly matches in March, resulting in a defeat and draw against Morocco and Comoros, respectively.

Bottom

Angola are currently fourth in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers group D standings, with two points. Meanwhile, Sihlangu are rock bottom with no points after suffering defeats in their first two matches of the qualifiers. EFA had earlier reported that their bill for away matches sometimes shot up E1.2 million. This was revealed by EFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Mngomezulu during the Sihlangu Indaba held at SibaneSami Hotel in January. This includes money spent on air tickets and accommodation, among other essentials. Te Sihlangu squad will be announced today, indicating the start of preparations for the trip to Angola. The team’s technical bench members; coach Dominic Kunene, his assistants Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane and Ernest Mavuso had their contracts extended until further notice after they had expired. EFA Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe confirmed the venue. “We have received formal correspondence from Angola with regard to the host venue,” Radebe said.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: