‘SIHLANGU CAN HURT US’

MBABANE – Botswana’s Zebras interim coach Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote believes they were lucky to escape without defeat at home in Francistown last Saturday against Eswatini’s Sihlangu.

Mpote and his troops will be meeting for the third time with Sihlangu in a space of about two weeks after the match-up in the recently-ended Hollywoodbets Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup 2022 Plate semifinals in Durban, South Africa. The Zebras won 2-0. They met again in the first leg of the TOTALEnergies Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2022 Qualifiers in Botswana and it ended goalless. They clash again in the decider for the team to progress to the second round of the qualifiers to CHAN Algeria 2023 finals next January after COVID-19 forced the postponements by at least a year of major sporting events like the CAF tournaments. The match is on Sunday in Johannesburg at the Orlando Stadium.

Whoever wins it goes through to the second round, which is the final hurdle to producing one of three teams from the Southern Zone to go to Algeria. The rival there will either be Seychelles or Madagascar, who are not so tough opposition compared to Sihlangu and the Zebras on paper, making both Eswatini and Botswana coaches having it all to do, for a maiden spot in the finals. Mpote admitted his side was completely ‘outclassed’ by Eswatini in first leg and they were lucky to get a draw and did not hide that he would solidify his defence. “We cannot go there and sit back. They will hurt us because they are a good team. We are going to be aggressive in our approach. I see a very tough game in the second leg. It will be a totally different ball game,” he told Botswana’s The Monitor.

Solidity

He pointed out that he would solidify his defence after they struggled to click at the back and could have conceded more than two goals had it not been for Gaborone United’s goal minder Goitseone Phoko who produced a man of the match performance. Phoko produced not less than five saves. “They penetrated us with ease and could have scored at least two goals. I think this is because our structure was not good from the midfield to the defence. They also denied us an opportunity to play our normal passing game. I think our players had an inferiority complex in terms of starting the ball at the back,” Mpote said.

He also lamented that some of the experienced stars had just been called up after missing the COSAFA Cup and lacked match fitness as it was early preseason, with six fresh legs called up. Meanwhile, Sihlangu coach Dominic Kunene was in camp with the squad at the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Technical Centre. He also made it clear that the game was not over and they were preparing for it in a bid to try and win which Eswatini has failed to achieve in 19 years, against the Zebras. Sihlangu has no home advantage as facilities in Somhlolo National Stadium and Mavuso Sports Centre remain banned by CAF.

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