Times Of Swaziland: SIHLANGU TO PLAY  EUROPE COUNTRIES, IF…

SIHLANGU TO PLAY  EUROPE COUNTRIES, IF…
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Ntombikayise Gwebu on 28/02/2024 08:51:00


MBABANE – There is hope for Eswatini football, as FIFA is launching biennial
series of friendly games next month.
Latest reports suggest the International Federation of Football Associations
(FIFA) will, next month, launch a new series of friendly matches. They are set
to benefit national teams like Sihlangu, that typically have limited
opportunities to play against those from other confederations. FIFA will cover
the travel costs for participating teams, while there are no trophies or prize
money involved. The series of friendlies are in line with strategic objectives
for the global game, running from 2023-2027 and follows a decision taken by the
FIFA Council in December 2022, as per the association’s official website.
FIFA will implement the pilot phase of the FIFA Series during the upcoming
men’s international match calendar window in March 2024. This series will see
the world football’s governing body support its member associations in
organising international friendly matches comprising four national teams from
different confederations, in a single host country.
The initiative will provide member associations with a more regular opportunity
to face national teams from other continents, which will serve to unlock
technical development opportunities previously unavailable to many of them.
The FIFA Series will also provide the participating member associations with
their own additional commercial opportunities and exposure. Ahead of the full
roll-out in March 2026, the pilot project will run from March18 to 26, 2024. The
forthcoming edition of the FIFA Series will feature national teams from all six
confederations including Confederation of African Football (CAF). This means
that Sihlangu Semnikati have a chance to face some of the big guns from across
the globe such as France, Portugal and Spain, among  others.  Future instalments
are planned during every March international match window of every year. FIFA
President Gianni Infantino believes the gesture by FIFA will benefit countries
positively.
level
“The FIFA Series is a really positive step forward for national-team football
at global level. Our member associations have been telling us for a long time
now of their desire to test themselves against their counterparts from all
around the world, and now they can do so within the current Men’s
International Match Calendar,” Infantino said. There are currently 20 teams
for the pilot edition while 48 are expected to partake in the 2026 edition. With
FIFA only facilitating and not organising the tournaments member associations
with their sponsors on the ground are invited to sponsor the series. When asked
as to whether EFA was relishing the prospect of playing some of the big guns
around the globe, especially Europe, Eswatini Football Association (EFA)
Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe responded that they
were not in a position to comment, as there was no official correspondence from
FIFA regarding the same.