GOAL-SHY SIHLANGU, BAFANA CRASH OUT

PORT ELIZABETH  – In a captivating clash at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Sihlangu suffered a bitter disappointment, as they were eliminated from the COSAFA tournament.

The team, led by Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane, experienced a 1-0 defeat against Bafana Bafana yesterday, bringing their Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) goalless campaign to an end. The match began with great anticipation for Sihlangu, but their hopes were swiftly dashed, when Bafana Bafana’s Thabang Sibanyoni scored in the third minute. Sibanyoni’s well-executed header, resulting from a corner kick, left the Eswatini defence in a state of shock.

It is worth mentioning that Eswatini, Bafana Bafana, and Botswana have all been eliminated from the tournament. Meanwhile, Mozambique secured a spot in the semi-finals after defeating Botswana 3-1 in another Group A encounter at Wolfson Stadium yesterday. Bafana Bafana failed to qualify since they were not the best second-placed team among the three groups. Instead, it was Kenya who advanced as the best second-placed team, accumulating six points compared to South Africa’s five. Therefore, the semi-finals will feature Mozambique, Kenya, Namibia, and Comoros.

Despite the early setback, Sihlangu displayed resilience and fought tenaciously throughout the game. They had several noteworthy opportunities to equalise. In the half hour mark, Thubelihle Mavuso provided an excellent pass to Ayanda Gadlela, who scored with a simple tap-in. However, the goal was disallowed for an offside infringement as ruled by the referee.
Five minutes later, the Helman Mkhalele-led side came close to making it 2-0, but Eswatini goalkeeper Xolani Gama made a crucial save to deny Ashly Cupido on one on one occassion. Eswatini continued their attacking efforts, with Gadlela taking another shot in the 40th minute, but unfortunately, it missed the target. The first half concluded with Bafana Bafana maintaining a slim 1-0 lead.

During halftime, both teams regrouped and made tactical adjustments. Sihlangu introduced substitutes Bongwa Matsebula and Leon Manyisa in the 72nd minute to inject fresh energy into the game. However, despite their best efforts, they were unable to find the back of the net. The match showcased moments of brilliance from both sides. Junior Magagula had a chance to restore parity for Sihlangu with a glancing header approximately 20 minutes before full time, but unfortunately, he missed the target by inches. In the 76th minute, Manyisa attempted a header from a well-executed throw-in by Matsebula, providing a glimmer of hope for Sihlangu. Nevertheless, Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Mondli Mpoto made a vital save. Mavuso also came close to finding an equaliser for Eswatini around 10 minutes before full time, but his powerful strike from the edge of the box narrowly missed the target, resulting in a goalkick.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: