SIHLANGU FACE ZIMBABWE U-23 SQUAD AT SOMHLOLO

MBABANE – The senior national squad Sihlangu will have a tough test next Wednesday when they host Zimbabwe’s Under-23 squad in an international preparatory game.

The game will be played under floodlights at Somhlolo National Stadium and kick off is 7pm. Sihlangu is currently in full-time camp at the National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) Technical Centre.

NFAS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Mngomezulu assured Sihlangu supporters that the game will definitely be played after the Zimbabweans confirmed their participation.

“The other details like the entry fee will be revealed to the public in due course once we have met as an executive committee to discuss the other logistics. I can, however, assure that the game will definitely be played and the nation should be ready to support the squad.

“We are banking on the nation’s support to cheer the players to victory. The squad has been in camp for sometime and has played a number of preparatory games as well in the recent past. We are, however, going to release the finer details as the week progresses towards the game,” said Mngomezulu.

Meanwhile, information sourced from Zimbabwe revealed that the Zimbabweans will send their Under-23 squad, which is fresh from another international preparatory clash against Botswana. 

The Zimbabwe Under-23 coach Callisto Pasuwa will get his first opportunity to assess his national youth side against Sihlangu. Pasuwa was away when the new-look ‘Young Warriors’, as the Zimbabwean junior squad is affectionately known, took on Botswana’s Zebras.

His assistant, Saul Chaminuka, took charge and his troops  played well despite the loss to the Zebras.
“The team did quite well considering that they were playing together for the first time but they showed character and it was unfortunate we did not win the game,” the assistant coach is quoted by the Zimbabwean Daily Mail.

The NFAS will cater for the visitors’ stay while in the country. In fact the football mother body has pledged to fetch the Zimbabwean delegation from Johannesburg. Mashingaidze said the match against Swaziland and last week’s trip to Gaborone were part of a programme they had rolled out which is aimed at helping the Young Warriors coaches to adequately prepare their charges for the Under-23 Championships qualifiers and the All-Africa Games qualifiers scheduled for early next year.

Ironically, the Young Warriors will face Swaziland’s Under-23 side in the first rounds of both qualifiers next year.
According to the draws of the Under-23 Championships and the All Africa Games qualifiers conducted by Caf, the Young Warriors will face Swaziland in the first round first leg of the All Africa Games qualifiers away on the weekend of February 20-22 before hosting the return leg on the weekend of March 6-8 next year.

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