Times Of Swaziland: SEARCH FOR NATIONAL TEAM GAFFER OVER: 2-YEAR DEAL FOR NEW  SIHLANGU  COACH

SEARCH FOR NATIONAL TEAM GAFFER OVER: 2-YEAR DEAL FOR NEW  SIHLANGU  COACH
================================================================================
Nimrod Hlophe and Lindokuhle Madlopha on 31/08/2024 07:21:00


LOBAMBA – Is he the Messiah?
The Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane
announced a new coach for the national team, Sihlangu, at a press conference,
which was held at the Lobamba Technical Centre yesterday. Simelane said the
Coach Zdravko Logarusic from Croatia comes with a vast experience in the field
of coaching having worked in Africa, Asia and Europe. “We are happy to
announce the new Sihlangu coach from Croatia and his name is Zdravko Logarusic.
We are definitely sure that he is the right man to take us to the land of
honey,” Simelane said.
The president said they had offered the former Zimbabwe and Sudan national
teams’ gaffer a two-year contract to head the Kwakhe ‘Stopper’
Thwala-captained side. “His mandate is to qualify Eswatini for one of the
major tournaments,” he added. Logarusic, in his first official address to
local media, expressed his excitement in taking the hot seat at Sihlangu, which
was temporally held by now Assistant Coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane. “It’s
an honour for me to be part of Eswatini football; I came with a vast experience
having helped Zimbabwe qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and I also had a
stint with the Sudan national team,” Logarusic said. The PRO Licence holder
said the national team project looked interesting and this made him to take it
as he was not in the country to make money.
Challenge
“It’s a nice challenge for me as the country has the potential of reaching
greater heights with the assistance of the current technical bench,” he said.
He was, however, quick to highlight that he started following Sihlangu’s
progress after he submitted his application.“I saw that the team was good as
the score would be 1-0 or 2-1, which means we do have talent in the country,”
he said. He said there was no reason the country could underestimate itself with
the talent it has, but he would try to bring something new that would help in
improve the Eswatini football. The coach was introduced to the current technical
bench-led by ‘Nuro’, with Goalkeeper Coach Athony Mdluli, as well as
Physical Trainer Dennis ‘Denmark’ Fakudze. Also present during the unveiling
of Logarusic was EFA Secretary General Frederick Mngomezulu and Marketing and
Communications Officer Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe.