Times Of Swaziland: G. MAMBA DANGEROUS FROM ALL ANGLES – CALEB

G. MAMBA DANGEROUS FROM ALL ANGLES – CALEB
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Nimrod Hlophe on 06/04/2024 07:48:00


MBABANE – Mbabane Swallows Coach Caleb Ngwenya has described their Ingwenyama
Cup opponents, Green Mamba, as deadly at every turn of the game.
Ngwenya made this comment during the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund
(SMVAF) sponsored tournament’s finals pre-match press conference held at
Sigwaca House yesterday. “They are dangerous at every corner and we’re
prepared for everything they will throw at us. We have also looked at how we are
going to respond to that,” said the former Green Mamba coach, provoking
laughter from the audience.
Regarding the relatively inexperienced nature of his youthful squad compared to
their opponents, Ngwenya believes his seasoned players have imparted wisdom to
the youngsters. He mentioned the likes of Sandile Hlatjwako and Sandanezwe
Mathabela, while Sifiso Mabila and Sizolwethu Shabalala   share are also
experienced.
Surprised
“Our team is young, but we’ve come a long way. It’s something else to
bring a team together, and the players have surprised both me and themselves. We
appreciate the growth they’ve shown in such a short time. They are still on a
learning curve, but they have what it takes to play at this level,” Ngwenya
said.
He said he understood the importance of winning the trophy to him and the
capital city giants. He said it had been a while since Swallows won a major
trophy. The last time they did was during the 2018/19 season where they defeated
Royal Leopard 2-1 to claim the Swazi Telecom Charity Cup.
“The players are committed ahead of this clash because Swallows are known for
winning trophies. Without putting them under pressure, they’re focused and
looking forward to the game,” Ngwenya added. He remembered the opponents’
earlier season performance against them, not as a score to settle but as a
motivation to excel.
Fill
He encouraged fans to fill the Somhlolo National Stadium and assured them that
the players would hear them from the stands. Meanwhile, his counterpart, Ernest
Mavuso, said they were approaching the match with caution. “We can’t rest on
being the defending champions because Caleb is the last coach who won with Green
Mamba. We mustn’t forget that. This match won’t be easy and we’re going up
against his strategies. He’ll come at us very hard, with pressing and energy,
but we have our own tactics to counter him,” Mavuso said.
Reviewed
Mavuso revealed that they had reviewed their games against the capital city
giants, set history aside, and were preparing with a cautious yet determined
mind-set. “We’re very cautious in our preparations, exploring their
strongest and weakest points while also refining our own,” the former Mbabane
Highlanders gaffer said. Green Mamba and Swallows will collide at 3pm to bring
down the curtain of the sixth edition of the knockout competition.