TRICKY CHAN DRAW FOR SIHLANGU

MBABANE – Sihlangu have learnt their opponents in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Nations Championships (CHAN).
They have been drawn against Zimbabwe in a draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. The TotalEnergies CAF CHAN  draw saw Eswatini positioned in pot two alongside the lower-ranked Namibia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, while pot one featured more esteemed teams from the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), including Madagascar, Mozambique, Angola and Zambia.In CHAN, only players competing in their domestic leagues are allowed to feature.

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Eswatini, who are ranked 159th globally, will face Zimbabwe in the first hurdle. The first leg will unfold in Zimbabwe during the weekend of October 25-27, 2024.  The second leg against the 124th –ranked opponents will take place at Mbombela Stadium, on the weekend of November 1-3, 2024.The victor of this clash will advance to face Madagascar in the second round, with the first leg of that encounter slated for the weekend of December 20-22, 2024 and the second leg set for December 27-29, 2024. Sihlangu Coach Zdravko Logarusic acknowledged that it was a tough draw. “It’s a 50-50 chance for both teams to advance to the next round. We respect Zimbabwe, as they are a formidable team.” Notably, Logarusic is a former Zimbabwean coach.

Sought for his expert opinion, FIFA-accredited agent Dingane ‘Mendes’ Maduma expressed optimism regarding the draw, asserting that, “It will ultimately hinge on preparation. On paper, Zimbabwe appears formidable, but if Sihlangu have adequately prepared, they can prevail and subsequently overcome Madagascar.” When queried about the significance of rankings and whether the arrival of new coach Logarusic would serve as a motivating factor for Eswatini, Maduma added, “Indeed, the fact that Eswatini is lower-ranked than Zimbabwe, coupled with the introduction of a new coach, will galvanise Eswatini to elevate their performance. This could provide a boost for the coach, and they will be eager to impress him.”
Zimbabwe have not won a competition since July 2, 2024. They last recorded a win when they secured a 2-0 victory against Kenya in the COSAFA Cup, which took place on June 30, 2024. In contrast, Eswatini faced challenges, remaining winless in their last eight matches. Their last triumph was on March 20, 2024, against Somalia in the AFCON Qualifiers. The most recent encounter between Eswatini and Zimbabwe occurred on July 2, 2017 during the COSAFA Cup, where Zimbabwe emerged victorious with a score of 2-1.

inception

The tournament itself will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from February 1-28, 2025. In the lead-up to the finals, the two rounds of qualifiers will be contested on a home-and-away basis. Since its inception in 2009, the TotalEnergies CHAN tournament has served as an exceptional platform for showcasing the world-class talent of players competing in their domestic leagues.In alignment with CAF’s objective to enhance the commercial strength of its competitions, the TotalEnergies CAF CHAN has witnessed a substantial increase in its commercial value, bolstered by a 60 per cent rise in prize money, with the winners poised to receive E35 million. The defending champions are Senegal. They defeated hosts Algeria 5-4 in penalty shoot-out after a goalless match including extra time.

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