Times Of Swaziland: ‘BHUBEZI’ ROARS INTO NATIONAL TEAM

‘BHUBEZI’ ROARS INTO NATIONAL TEAM
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Chris Dlamini on 31/08/2022 08:28:00


MATSAPHA - The Morocco 2022-bound Eswatini Pool Men’s Senior National Team has
been finalised.
The new squad was confirmed after the Last 8 National Qualifiers played last
Sunday at the Correctional Services in Matsapha. Five best players were selected
after they finished within the top five in the Last 8 standings. Worth noting is
that a few players retained their national team status, while others could not
and one of the country’s best, Flag Nxumalo, also crashed out in the last 16,
which was played on the previous day.
Strong
“There is no Brian Raynor and no Flag but the new candidate in the strong and
decorated Nathi ‘Bhubezi’ Sihlongonyane,” Eswatini Cue Sports Association
(ECSA) Secretary Mbongeni ‘Mdlikiza’ Gamedze confirmed. He said of the top
five, Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, Zweli ‘Siziba’ Dlamini and Sithembiso ‘Dodge’
Matsebula all made it back to the squad and proved how playing in the All Africa
Blackball Championships helped them, now they can take that experience to the
World Blackball Championships Morocco 2022 in mid-October this year.
New
Completing the squad is Thembinkosi ‘Mayambela’ Nhlabatsi who is new
alongside ‘Bhubezi’. They come in the places of the highly rated Brian
Raynor and Xolani Mbingo. The latter finished on sixth with 12 points, half of
what ‘Dodge’, the overall champion in the playoffs or qualifiers attained.
Gamedze explained that all eight players formed the national team with the
bottom three standby players.