SIHLANGU OUT – SIERRA LEONE’S MCKINSTRY

MBABANE – ‘Swaziland is out and they play Sierra Leone #AFCON 2015.’ This is one tweet by Sihlangu’s AFCON 2015 Qualifiers opponents’ coach Johnny McKinstry moments after the draw was made last Sunday.

While the getting his specific comments about the game has thus far proven difficult, the Irish coach, aged 28 years, was often posting about the Africa Cup of Nations 2015 days before the draw was conducted in Egypt, Cairo last Sunday.
He had also tweeted about their possible opponents in the qualifiers. After the draw, one of his tweets was that ‘Swaziland is out and they play Sierra Leone #AFCON 2015’ which in more ways than one suggests he looks beyond this draw.

While he does not expand on the tweet, he was still quoted in one interview last August saying he had always worked towards preparing Leone Stars to make the AFCON Finals in Morocco as he believed they had the potential.
“I am working towards preparing this team for greater things, with the AFCON in Morocco 2015 being centre stage on our radar.  That can be seen by the style of play we are working towards and the new additions to the squad we have made.  

potential

“This team has great potential, I am eager to be part of that and believe that the relationship that I have developed with both the players and sporting officials is one that can continue to bring success over the coming years, and I look forward to sitting down with the new SLFA executive in the coming weeks to see how we can move forward and raise up Sierra Leone football to new heights,” he responded to a question in an interview late last year.
McKinstry also tweeted about the next opposition after the Sihlangu qualifier match as he predicts Gambia or Seychelles to be the winner of this one. The four countries are fighting for the one spot in Group D which is the group of death as it has Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The coach’s comments come in the wake of a squad that boasts over 18 internationals, mostly based in Europe and other parts of the world. His team is currently ranked 71st in the FIFA World Rankings while Swaziland is 179th, 108 worlds apart.
However, Sihlangu’s coach Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga has declined to read much to McKinstry’s tweet.

“I want to believe it was his personal opinion and one I can’t challenge or say much about. Ours is to remain focused on preparing for the game and not what they say,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said they were still to hear from the Football Association (FA) if they would be having an international preparatory friendly before the first leg on May 18 at the Somhlolo National Stadium before the return leg two weeks later.
The squad starts full time camp tomorrow.

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