AFTER HOLDING BOTSWANA TO GOALLESS DRAW: SIHLANGU COSAFA DREAM LIVES ON

PORT ELIZABETH – In a match that teetered on the brink of triumph, Eswatini managed to get a point against Botswana, yesterday.

This was during the opening fixture of the Hollywoodbets Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup held at the 46 000-seater Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, situated a kilometre away from the bustling Port Elizabeth central business district. The Sihlangu squad, led by Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane burst out of the gates with vigour in the first half, dominating possession and creating a flurry of chances. Ayanda Gadlela’s early strike came perilously close to breaking the deadlock, only to miss the target by a hair’s breadth.

Subsequently

Newman Philiso’s rasping shot in the quarter-hour mark was subsequently saved by Botswana goalkeeper Victor Gomes, who would go on to earn Man of the Match honours for his acrobatic saves.  Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini, who could have easily stolen the show with his pace and skill, saw his opportunities go awry when Gomes denied him on multiple occasions.
Captain Kwakhe Thwala had his fair share of chances, but his hesitation to shoot allowed Botswana to regain possession and deny him the opportunity to open the scoring. Goalkeeper Xolani Gama’s mishandling of a back pass almost proved costly for Eswatini, but Simanga Masangane’s timely intervention cleared the danger.

As the first half drew to a close, Thwala found himself at the centre of attention once more, only to be thwarted by Gomes’ impressive reflexes. ‘Tiger’ Dlamini’s subsequent attempt crashed against the woodwork, leaving him and his teammates lamenting their missed opportunities, before a crowd of over 100 enthusiasts. The second half saw little to write home about, aside from Botswana’s miss 10 minutes after the restart, when Lesogo hit the ball over the bar, with Eswatini’s goalkeeper Xolani Gama out of position. In stoppage time, Junior Magagula failed to capitalise on Sizolwethu ‘Nunu’ Shabalala’s precise pass, gifting Botswana possession once more.

Misfiring

Despite their misfiring, Eswatini can take pride in earning a hard-fought point against a side they have struggled against since 2009. The draw means they have now secured five draws and six losses against Botswana in their head-to-head record. Focus shifts to Saturday noon’s match-up against Mozambique, before the group decider against South Africa, on Tuesday. The latter were due to face Mozambique at the time of compiling this report, last night. Sihlangu need to top the group to be guaranteed a place in the semi-finals of the tournament that will run until July 7.

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