SIHLANGU DROP AGAIN

MBABANE – Once again, Sihlangu have tumbled in the latest global standings.

The senior national football outfit have dropped by a single place in the latest FIFA World Rankings released yesterday. The nation’s pride was initially ranked 154 out of 210 countries worldwide. They are now sitting at position 155. Last month, this publication reported that this was the worst ranking in 10 years, since being placed 164th back in 2014. The unwelcome standings came at a time when Sihlangu are preparing to begin their journey to the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals. The qualifiers are scheduled for September to October, this year.

The significant drop was influenced by the team’s uninspiring performance in the recent Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Senior Challenge Cup. They failed to record a single victory from their three games in the tournament. They played a goalless draw against Mozambique and Botswana respectively and suffered a 1-0 defeat to the host nation, South Africa, last month.

Clash

The team will now shift their focus to the upcoming AFCON qualifiers, where they will clash with the 53rd ranked Mali. Other rivals are Mozambique who are ranked 104, as well as Guinea Bissau who are sitting at position 114 globally. Worth mentioning is that, among the opposition teams, it is only Guinea Bissau who have improved their ranking position by a single place, while Mali have fallen by three places. When contacted by this publication, Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President, Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane could not be reached for comment as his phone was not available.

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