Football

MBABANE – New Sihlangu interim Head Coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane faces a mammoth task in his very first outing.

This comes after Angola’s new Coach, Patrice Beaumelle, unveiled a 28-man squad for next week’s International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup Qualifiers.

The Europe-based players include some of the continent’s most valuable talents. Among them is defender David Carmo, currently on loan at Real Oviedo in Spain from English Premier League (EPL) outfit Nottingham Forest, who carries a market value of about €10 million, roughly E200 million.

He will be joined by Clinton Mata of Olympique Lyon in France and Kialonda Gaspar of Serie A side Lecce, each worth around €3.5 million, translating to E70 million apiece.

From the United Kingdom, winger Manuel Benson of Swansea City on loan from Burnley adds attacking flair with a valuation also at €3.5 million, while Jonathan Buatu, who plies his trade in Portugal with Gil Vicente, brings defensive steel and experience, with an estimated value of €600 000, or just over E12 million.

The presence of these internationals makes Angola a daunting opponent, stacked with quality from Europe’s top divisions.

Angola, just like Eswatini, are out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, and their clash with Eswatini is set for October 8, 2025 at Somhlolo National Stadium, a venue returning to international duty after being banned for five years

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The Europe-based players include some of the continent’s most valuable talents. Among them is defender David Carmo, currently on loan at Real Oviedo in Spain from English Premier League (EPL) outfit Nottingham Forest. (Pic: Courtesy)