Times Of Swaziland: SIHLANGU COACH ‘CELEBRATES’  WITH ZIM FANS AFTER VICTORY

SIHLANGU COACH ‘CELEBRATES’  WITH ZIM FANS AFTER VICTORY
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Sanele Jele on 04/11/2024 08:09:00


NELSPRUIT – Sihlangu Coach Zdravko Logarusic has announced his intention to
utilise the AFCON Qualifiers as a preparatory measure for the CHAN games.
The Sihlangu coach made this statement during a post-match interview at Mbombela
Stadium, following his team’s 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe in the TotalEnergies
African Nations Championships (CHAN) qualifiers, this past Saturday. He secured
a commanding 4-0 aggregate triumph after a 3-0 win in Botswana, over a week ago.
Eswatini’s forthcoming match is against Guinea-Bissau on November 15, in the
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers at home (Mbombela Stadium), followed by
an away fixture against Mali, four days later.
ubsequently, Eswatini will shift their focus to the second preliminary round of
the CHAN qualifiers, where they will face Madagascar during the week of December
20-22 and December 27-29. “We controlled the game and had a plan to attack and
score goals. This marks our second victory on the road since I took charge, and
we must prepare diligently for the upcoming match against Madagascar. We will
leverage the AFCON qualifiers to ready ourselves for the CHAN clash against
Madagascar.”
Satisfaction
He noted that the results were favouring them, and he expressed his
satisfaction. When asked about the possibility of Kwakhe Thwala returning to the
national team, he remarked, “I must do what is necessary. I had to decide
whether to risk losing the dressing room for one player. It was a matter of
discipline. Kwakhe, like myself, is fallible; we all make mistakes, and I will
still consider him for the future.”  Regarding his decision to grant Mlungisi
Nxumalo an opportunity after substituting goalkeeper Xolani Gama, he explained
that he aimed to prepare Nxumalo for upcoming matches and ensure he is ready
should the need arise.
The coach also clarified why some fans requested to take pictures with him after
the match. He stated that he cherishes the good memories he created in Zimbabwe,
but his focus is now firmly on his current team.  Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Coach
Takesure Chirangwi expressed that his team performed better than in the first
leg. “We demonstrated character, sound tactics and effective transitions. We
did not allow them to dictate the play. We are pleased with the boys’
performance,” stated Chirangwi.