PAPIC BUILDING FORMIDABLE TEAM –‘FELA’

NGWENYA – Sihlangu captain Felix ‘Fela’ Badehorst believes it is a matter of time before the team ticks.

The Mbombela United midfielder made these comments upon arrival at the Ngwenya Border Post at around 5pm yesterday. The national pride travelled on Wednesday for their last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2019 qualifier game against Tunisia. The match was played on Friday at Olympic Stadium in Tunis where the Kostadin Papic-led charges were hammered by 4-0 by the Eagles of Carthage at their own backyard. The team left the Northern African country on Friday and arrived home yesterday where they received a warm welcome from few fans who were at the border.

“It is not the result we wanted but we all know that Tunisia are the powerhouse of Africa. We tried our best but luck was not our side,” Baderhorst said. “We are still familiarising (ourselves) with the coach’s tactics. We might have lost but we learnt something from this game. People should not read too much into this result as this was the coach’s first game. I think the nation should give us time. I believe before COSAFA we will be a force to be reckoned with,” he added. Meanwhile, striker Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa said he was honoured to have played under new coach Papic.

“It was a tough game. We had little time together as a team but with time we will gel. There was nothing much I could have done as the damage had been done but I believe I can still make an impact in the national team with time,” the Mbabane Swallows striker said. Maritzburg United right winger Justice Figareido thanked the coach for allowing players to express themselves freely. “Papic knows what he is doing and I salute him. We played very well and the score was not a true reflection of the game. In the first half, we had over four opportunities missed. We had limited time together as a team but a majority of the players understood what the coach wanted from us,” Figareido said.

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