Times Of Swaziland: IN CHAN QUALIFIERS OPENER: THREE-LING SIHLANGU HAMMER ZIM

IN CHAN QUALIFIERS OPENER: THREE-LING SIHLANGU HAMMER ZIM
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Sanele Jele on 28/10/2024 08:26:00


MBABANE – Zdravko Logarusic returned to haunt his former employers, Zimbabwe,
as Eswatini delivered a resounding 3-0 victory, yesterday.
This was during the first leg of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship
(CHAN) Qualifiers.  This exhilarating match unfolded at the Obed Itani Chulumbe
Stadium in Francistown, Botswana, amid sweltering temperatures soaring to 38
degrees Celsius. The match was held in Botswana due to the fact that Zimbabwe
also does not have a stadium that meets the rigorous standards set by the
Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Logarusic’s tenure was cut short by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA)
in 2021 after he managed a dismal record of merely one victory from 14 matches.
Ironically, the same coach who faced dismissal was subsequently appointed by the
Eswatini Football Association (EFA), where he has since secured one win, one
draw, and two losses. Sifiso Matse, who unleashed a powerful strike near the
quarter-hour mark, opened the floodgates.  Junior Magagula then showcased his
prowess with a brace, finding the net in the first five minutes before half-time
and completing his double during the six minutes of stoppage time at the end of
the first-half.
Both teams will clash once more in the eagerly-anticipated second leg of the
CHAN qualifiers this Saturday at Mbombela Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for
3pm. This pivotal match will determine which team advances to the second
preliminary round, where they will face Madagascar between December 20-22 and
December 27-29. The victor of the encounter between Eswatini/Zimbabwe and
Madagascar will secure a spot in the CHAN main tournament, set to be hosted by
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from February 1-28.