SIHLANGU, BAFANA IN CRUNCH DECIDER

PORT ELIZABETH – The forthcoming conclusion to Group A’s qualifying matches is poised to be a heart-stopping affair, following Eswatini’s drab 0-0 draw against Mozambique at Wolfson Stadium yesterday.

This stalemate has left the group in a precarious position, with all four teams level on two points and only separated by a solitary goal. The match at Wolfson Stadium was situated just a mere 4km from Port Elizabeth’s bustling city centre, and very close to Chippa United’s training grounds. Chippa United is the sole representative from the Eastern Cape Province to feature in the Premier Soccer League. The evenly balanced game was a closely contested encounter, with both sides crafting opportunities, but ultimately failing to breach the opposition’s defence. The result has left Eswatini, led by Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane, rooted to the bottom of the log, with just two points from their opening two matches. The draw has set up a thrilling finale, with Eswatini facing a must-win situation against South Africa in their final group match on Tuesday. They will need to vanquish Bafana Bafana and hope that Botswana and Mozambique cancel each other out in their respective matches.

Formation

It was a battle that seesawed back and forth, with Ntibane executing a series of shrewd tactical tweaks to his starting line-up, diverging from the formation he employed in the inaugural encounter against Botswana.  The introduction of the talented attacking midfielder Sizolwethu ‘Nunu’ Shabalala and Leon ‘Schuster’ Manyisa proved an inspired decision, as they brought a fresh wave of attacking flair to Sihlangu’s arsenal, injecting a sense of dynamism into their offensive play.  Meanwhile, Nkosingiphile Shongwe and Thubelihle Mavuso were consigned to the substitutes’ bench, where they waited patiently for their chance to make a decisive intervention in the proceedings.

Eswatini goalkeeper Xolani Gama was the focal point of the action throughout, making several crucial saves to deny Mozambique’s attacking threats. His worst moment came when he ventured too far off his line and was beaten by Alfendenga’s grounded shot, only for Simanga Masangane to clear the danger. After the restart, Gama was again called into action, this time tipping over a powerful shot from Lorenzoni. He made another stunning save in the 85th minute, palming away Esteve’s free-kick. Despite these heroics, Eswatini’s attacking quartet of Sambulo ‘Masoso’ Simelane, Nunu, Ayanda Gadlela and Junior Magagula were unable to find the composure required to find the net.

Failed

The stalemate between Mozambique and Eswatini ensured that the latter failed to break their dubious streak of four consecutive matches against their opponents, maintaining the status quo in their head-to-head record. Despite the deadlock, Eswatini can take solace in their two previous victories, while Mozambique can point to their own pair of triumphs in the rivalry.
The last time Eswatini emerged victorious against Mozambique in a COSAFA Cup competition was in the 2021 edition, when they battled to a 1-1 draw and subsequently prevailed 2-1 in a penalty shootout, claiming a bronze medal. Notwithstanding Mozambique’s better FIFA ranking of 103, they were unable to leverage this advantage to secure a decisive victory over Eswatini, which languishes at 154th on the global table.

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