Times Of Swaziland: ‘SAMORA’S BIG DREAMS FOR SIHLANGU

‘SAMORA’S BIG DREAMS FOR SIHLANGU
================================================================================
Ntokozo Magongo on 20/07/2022 07:36:00


MBABANE – Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President Peter ‘Samora’
Simelane is dreaming big for the national team, Sihlangu.
He believes that the Dominic Kunene-led side can make history and qualify for
the first time to play in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament to
be held in Algeria between January 8 and 31, 2023. Sihlangu have never qualified
for both the CHAN and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments. The CHAN
tournament is a biennial African National Association Football tournament
organised by CAF and the participating nations must consist of players playing
in their national league competitions, without international players.Simelane
said this when he bid farewell to the 20 players who left the country yesterday
for Botswana, where they will play the first leg on Saturday at Francistown
before the second leg billed for Orlando Stadium, South Africa on July 31.
Impressed
Simelane said he was impressed by the teams performance in the COSAFA Cup
especially the match against Senegal, that ended with a draw in full time and
Sihlangu lost after penalties. They went on to lose 2-0 to Botswana in the plate
competition. “If we are able to match top teams like Senegal, what can stop us
from reaching the main tournament and go to Algeria. I believe in this team,
that they can make it and they will. It can be good to see the country
represented in the tournament and playing top teams like Tunisia, Nigeria,
Algeria and Egypt, among others. The performance we showed in COSAFA proves that
we can match top nations,” he said. The winner between Sihlangu and Botswana
will also have to go past the victorious side between Seychelles and Madagascar
before making it to the main tournament.