GIVE YOUNGSTERS A CHANCE IN COSAFA

It was interesting to note that Sihlangu Head Coach Dominic Kunene tried to blend the team with young blood and experience, when he announced the 27-member provisional squad for the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup to be staged in Durban, South Africa from July 5 this year.

The young players getting call ups include the likes of Nhlanhla Ngwenya and Leon Manyisa from Mbabane Swallows as well as Mcolisi Manana (Green Mamba FC) and Kwakhe Tfwala and Bongwa Matsebula (both Young Buffaloes FC), among others. Since the COSAFA Cup is the only tournament where Sihlangu have a realistic chance of challenging for silverware, there is a temptation for the coaches to field only the senior players, ahead of deserving youngsters. The COSAFA Cup provides a perfect platform for the youngsters to produce eye-catching performances and leave a lasting impression.

talents

Other countries like South Africa have been selecting a raft of up-and-coming talents to go with more established internationals. This helps in widening the pool of national team players, for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) and Africa Cup of Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifiers on the horizon this year. One player from South Africa who impressed in the last COSAFA Cup was TS Galaxy midfielder Ethan Brooks. After making his Bafana debut against Uganda in a friendly, the youngster earned starts against Botswana and Sihlangu. The teenager even drew comparisons to Steven Pienaar. The likes of Tercious Malepe, Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates) and Lehlogonolo Masalesa (Platinum Stars) ‚ all used the COSAFA Cup as a springboard to the top league in South Africa.

final

So for the Dominic Kunene-led technical bench, these youngsters should be in the final team and further get game time in Durban. With no active national Under-23s side to feed into Sihlangu, the COSAFA Cup should be a platform where the youngsters get the much needed experience for the big stage. A tournament such as this has to be used solely as a platform to test whether emerging players can withstand the demands of international football. Coach Kunene has to keep both eyes on the future. As it is, the coach has hardly had time to build youngsters in his side. The COSAFA Cup presents the Sihlangu technical bench with the perfect opportunity to try out new talent.

nurture

The tournament is supposedly meant to serve as a platform to nurture their young players, who show potential of being future Sihlangu stars. One or two veterans are also often given opportunities in the side to not only add experience but also to provide guidance to the youngsters in the team. The tournament would have served as a good opportunity for the coach experiment with different formations, players and combinations. There’s simply no need for Kunene to haul only established players to the COSAFA Cup.

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