Times Of Swaziland: S. AFRICANS URGED TO STOP SIHLANGU COSAFA GAMES

S. AFRICANS URGED TO STOP SIHLANGU COSAFA GAMES
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BY CHRIS DLAMINI on 08/07/2021 08:23:00


MBABANE – Reactions on social media, Facebook show a lack of support for the
senior national team Sihlangu Semnikati.
The team is dominated by the security forces teams in the country’s elite
league. Regardless of the convincing COSAFA Cup 2021 3-1 win over Lesotho’s
Likuena as their national team is nicknamed, Facebook was abuzz with a majority
not praising the win but venting their anger on the fact that the squad was
mainly made up of the three security forces teams’ players being Young
Buffaloes (soldiers), Royal Leopard (police) and Green Mamba (warders or
Correctional officers). A minority welcomed the win in the first match of this
year’s COSAFA Cup. The gist of the matter was none other than the current
political instability in the country that has resulted in the loss of life,
looting and burning down of businesses amidst pro-democracy protests a round the
country. The security forces have on social and international media, widely been
fingered for the alleged killings of citizens since last week.
Disrupt
There was even a ploy to disrupt Sihlangu’s Confederation of Southern African
Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup with an appeal to South Africans to not allow
their games to play in Port Elizabeth. However, Sihlangu played and beat Lesotho
on Tuesday afternoon and play hosts South Africa today. “Abakhoni nalukudlala
kwekucala nje (They can’t even play)…they are useless like this
government,” wrote one Facebooker with another following it up by posting
‘Ngatsi ningadliwa 8-0 (I wish you lose 8-0)’ before one that read
‘Lamaphoyisa nemasotja ngabe sinawo la (the police and soldiers should be here
with us).
mixed
Some of the comments were unpalatable and cannot be repeated. one post called
for Sihlangu to return home as ‘siyabulawa ngala (we are being killed)’ and
they have gone to play football. However, some were positive and did not want
football being mixed with the political situation and were grateful for the win.
They even posted and congratulated Man of the Match award winner Fanelo
‘Order’ Mamba and history-making Felix Badenhorst, who became the
tournament’s all-time top goalscorer with nine goals to Peter Ndlovu’s
eight. EFA Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said they were well
and focussing on today’s match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
Sihlangu lead group A on better goal difference, while Bafana Bafana who won 1-0
against Botswana on Tuesday are second. Lesotho face Zambia today while Botswana
rests. Meanwhile, Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman Mark Carmichael said
they were not part of the politics but sport which to them was a unifier. He
said Sihlangu won a match and as PLE and as a stakeholder of the EFA they were
happy and positive that even this side, games would play.