Times Of Swaziland: ‘SIHLANGU CAN HURT US’

‘SIHLANGU CAN HURT US’
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Chris Dlamini on 28/07/2022 08:04:00


MBABANE – Botswana’s Zebras interim coach Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote
believes they were lucky to escape without defeat at home in Francistown last
Saturday against Eswatini’s Sihlangu.
Mpote and his troops will be meeting for the third time with Sihlangu in a space
of about two weeks after the match-up in the recently-ended Hollywoodbets
Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup 2022 Plate
semifinals in Durban, South Africa. The Zebras won 2-0. They met again in the
first leg of the TOTALEnergies Confederation of African Football (CAF) African
Nations Championship (CHAN) 2022 Qualifiers in Botswana and it ended goalless.
They clash again in the decider for the team to progress to the second round of
the qualifiers to CHAN Algeria 2023 finals next January after COVID-19 forced
the postponements by at least a year of major sporting events like the CAF
tournaments. The match is on Sunday in Johannesburg at the Orlando Stadium.
Whoever wins it goes through to the second round, which is the final hurdle to
producing one of three teams from the Southern Zone to go to Algeria. The rival
there will either be Seychelles or Madagascar, who are not so tough opposition
compared to Sihlangu and the Zebras on paper, making both Eswatini and Botswana
coaches having it all to do, for a maiden spot in the finals. Mpote admitted his
side was completely ‘outclassed’ by Eswatini in first leg and they were
lucky to get a draw and did not hide that he would solidify his defence. “We
cannot go there and sit back. They will hurt us because they are a good team. We
are going to be aggressive in our approach. I see a very tough game in the
second leg. It will be a totally different ball game,” he told Botswana’s
The Monitor.
Solidity
He pointed out that he would solidify his defence after they struggled to click
at the back and could have conceded more than two goals had it not been for
Gaborone United’s goal minder Goitseone Phoko who produced a man of the match
performance. Phoko produced not less than five saves. “They penetrated us with
ease and could have scored at least two goals. I think this is because our
structure was not good from the midfield to the defence. They also denied us an
opportunity to play our normal passing game. I think our players had an
inferiority complex in terms of starting the ball at the back,” Mpote said.
He also lamented that some of the experienced stars had just been called up
after missing the COSAFA Cup and lacked match fitness as it was early preseason,
with six fresh legs called up. Meanwhile, Sihlangu coach Dominic Kunene was in
camp with the squad at the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Technical Centre.
He also made it clear that the game was not over and they were preparing for it
in a bid to try and win which Eswatini has failed to achieve in 19 years,
against the Zebras. Sihlangu has no home advantage as facilities in Somhlolo
National Stadium and Mavuso Sports Centre remain banned by CAF.