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SIHLANGU NOT WEAK – MALI COACH

10/09/2024 08:31:00 Ntombikayise Gwebu an Sanele Jele

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MBABANE – Belgium-born Mali Head Coach Tom Saintfiet is feeling uneasy ahead of their clash against Sihlangu, this afternoon.
He said this during a pre-match interview at the iconic Mbombela Stadium, yesterday. Sihlangu host Mali at 3pm today. The Malian Football Federation unveiled the Belgian tactician as the new head coach of their national team, just a few days before their crucial 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign kicked off.

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“Eswatini is a good team. With the last narrow defeats against Guinea-Bissau and Angola in World Cup Qualifiers, it shows they are not weak. The game is a must-win for Mali.
“However, it will not be easy going against a very organised Eswatini. We will need to be clinical in front of the goal. I have huge respect for them. We will try to do everything to get three points,” he said. Mali has set ambitious targets for the new coach. They include reaching the semi-finals of AFCON 2025 in Morocco and earning a slot in the 2026 International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.

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The seasoned gaffer boasts a strong squad headlined by highly-rated Tottenham Hotspurs player Yves Bissouma. The latter scored in their 1-all draw against Mozambique, last Friday.
The Belgian coach further highlighted his awareness of Sihlangu’s strength. He picked Richards Bay forward Justice ‘Figa’ Figuareido as one key player. “We will have to be very careful as Eswatini has good players,” he added. Meanwhile, Sihlangu Assistant Coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane said they would capitalise on Mali’s mistakes. “Mali are another strong team. However, we have to give them respect. We have seen their weaknesses and strengths when they played against Mozambique,” he said.

Eswatini go to this match minus Mbabane Highlanders attacking midfielder Philani Mkhontfo, who had to be excused to attend to pressing family issues. He is reportedly bereaved.
Sihlangu skipper Sifiso ‘Ayoba’ Matse, on the other hand, expressed optimism ahead of the test against the West Africans.“We saw their result against Mozambique. However, this game is a must-win and we will work towards getting maximum points. We will win this game for Philani. We know he is with us in spirit,” Matse said. In the opener, a hard-fighting Sihlangu lost 0-1 away in Guinea-Bissau. They need maximum points to stay in the hunt for a maiden appearance in the AFCON finals.