SIHLANGU: ONE-LEGGED IN A KICKING CONTEST!

My dearest readers ... When an overzealous Sihlangu fan sent me a WhatsApp message during half-time of the Sihlangu versus Senegal clash at Mavuso Sports Centre on Sunday, suggesting that ‘Sihlangu will cause the biggest upset in African football today’! you could have knocked me over with a feather.

I mean seriously, Senegal are the number one ranked nation in the latest CAF Rankings; 20 in FIFA world rankings, losing finalists in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations while we are ranked 43 in Africa and 147 in the world and have never participated in the biennial continental showpiece. Holding the ‘Teranga Lions’ of Senegal to a goalless draw at half-time, believe me you, was commendable especially the zest and determination displayed by the players which I have not seen since Kostadin Papic was handed the poisoned chalice that is the Sihlangu coaching job in January this year.

missed

But if truth be told, (which is where I think the fan was jumping the gun), Senegal could easily have been 1-0 up by the second minute of the game when Sada Thioub missed an open header, unmarked on the left flank, after a gift-wrapped cross from two goal hero Famara Diedhiou. Then the visitors also had a penalty seven minutes later by Diedhiou bravely saved by goalkeeper Ncamiso ‘Mbhonyo’ Dlamini, rightly chosen ahead of the erratic Sandanezwe Mathabela.

That, alone, should have been neon bright warning signs of what Sihlangu were up against if the star-studded list of players, all playing professional football, was not intimidating enough. Fair enough, Sihlangu defended with aplomb and even fashioned out two chances not utilised by the humungous Phinda ‘Phindrix’ Dlamini – who looks like a sheep ready for a spit braai – and an audacious lob from his own half by the impressive Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze almost catching the Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy off his line

. But that is only how close we were in getting a goal. Yes, we closed them down; we kept the feared Sadio Mane (hats off to defender Lindo Mkhonta for sticking to him like an obstinate shylock) under lock and key but many factors simply worked against the Papic-led team even before the first goal was kicked in anger.

Win

While Senegal hired a chartered plane to bring the team here at least 48 hours before the game after the 2-0 win over Congo Brazzaville, Sihlangu were still engaged in their own Great Trek. Like the famous Great Trek, a movement of Dutch-speaking colonists up into the interior of southern Africa in search of land where they could establish their own homeland, independent of British rule in 1835-1846, Sihlangu were engaged in their own Great Trek. The journey began here on Thursday, November 7, 2019 crossing two continents, as they left Johannesburg to Doha, Qatar, then moved to Morocco before flying to Guinea Bissau in a total of five days (See story on the back page).

The whole trip took a staggering 14 393 kilometres over five days for a trip that is ostensibly 6 592 kilometres, which could be done in just seven hours on a direct flight. Another 14 393 kilometres back home after last Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to Guinea Bissau to take on the star-studded Senegal was certainly too much to ask for a team that barely had enough time to rest and recuperate. That is another factor, which sadly was beyond our hands given the cost implications of E40 000 air-ticket per person for a direct flight to Guinea Bissau. It would have cost the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) well over E1 million on air-fares alone. 

crisis

With the country facing a fiscal crisis, the players were subjected to this torturous trip and the first half display literally took the wind out of their sails. Understandably so. The inclement weather aside, the gulf in class between the two sides was obviously there for all to see and it was a matter of time before the bubble burst.

Long before the man wearing a white abaya traditional African clothing robe pulled his stunts at the Sihlangu goal-post, Senegal were working their way to ascendancy in the game. Sihlangu could not resist for too long. When the first goal came in, in the 52nd minute, it was pretty obvious the wheels had come off hence the second goal five minutes later and the third, two minutes later. It was even worse when the lone Sihlangu goal-scorer Fanelo ‘Order’ Mamba scored the goal only to be sent off for a second bookable offence two minutes later.

The fourth goal in the 68th minute prompted the fans to start leaving the stadium at a funeral pace, asking themselves when will the endless losing streak would end. The answer is simple: there are no short-cuts in football. Secondly, as long as we continue to invest too much money on our muti beliefs than on development programmes that will ensure we are able to produce good players, the vicious losing cycle will continue until Jesus comes. This overzealous muti belief is so prevalent and institutionalised at club level, it then manifests itself at the national team level where players would rather not be paid even allowances while some denizen in the world of spooks gets all the money to perform ‘miracles’ that will see the team win.
Game
But for 13 games now, we are yet to win any game in open play.
Isn’t it about time we find a solution to this malaise? Isn’t it about time we say ‘enough is enough’ and find lasting solutions which have helped other football nations around the continent and the world? Unless those silk-suited souls at Sigwaca House realise cutting corners will not help us; investing in muti instead of proper development programmes, Sihlangu will continue resembling a one-legged man in a kicking contest!
Ouch ...

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