Times Of Swaziland: RARE CLIMB FOR SIHLANGU

RARE CLIMB FOR SIHLANGU
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Machawe Fakudze on 29/11/2024 09:21:00


MBABANE - The national team, Sihlangu, have climbed a position in the latest
International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rankings, which were
released yesterday afternoon.
The Logarusic Zdravko-coached squad moved up from 160th to 159th place, marking
a significant improvement in their global standing. The one-place rise was
influenced by Sihlangu’s 1-1 draw against Guinea-Bissau in the
recently-concluded TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers.
Although the team failed to secure a spot in next year’s AFCON finals in
Morocco, the positive result has had a positive impact on their FIFA ranking.
Boost
The improvement in Eswatini’s global football statistics will serve as a
morale boost ahead of their back-to-back TotalEnergies African Nations
Championship (CHAN) decisive qualifying fixtures against Madagascar, scheduled
for late next month. It is worth noting that the results of this competition are
not considered by FIFA when ranking nations. Madagascar, on the other hand,
experienced a downfall in the latest rankings, dropping from 109th  to 115th
place. Sihlangu’s highest FIFA ranking was in 2017, when they reached 88th 
position, while their lowest was in October 2012, when they were ranked 190th in
world football.
Despite attempts to reach Zdravko and Assistant Coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane
for comments, they declined to provide any insights on the latest rankings.
Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer, Muzi
‘Rhoo’ Radebe, also refrained from commenting, stating that this was a
technical matter best addressed by the coach. The next FIFA rankings will be
released on  December  12, 2024.