LOGARUSIC RECALLS ‘SIKHALI’ FOR CHAN

MBABANE – The journey to the 2025 CHAN finals has begun!

This is after the national team Sihlangu, Croatian gaffer Zdravko Logarusic announced a 25-member squad to prepare for the 2025 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) Qualifiers.  Sihlangu have been drawn against Zimbabwe. The national side to do duty in this assignment was announced at the Sigwaca House during a press conference in the presence of Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe, yesterday.

Exposed

Logarusic, when announcing the squad headlined by the returning Green Mamba striker, Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa, said due to the tight schedule the players were exposed to in the past months, he will only focus on tactical and recovery sessions during the three-day training. “We have played many tough games. We played seven matches in 27 days, which is very tough for the boys.  It was like playing a game in three and a half days,” Logarusic said.

He revealed that after the 0-3 defeat in the second leg of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Mozambique, this past Monday, at the Mbombela Stadium, the players complained of pains on their bodies. “The players will be from tough league games and on Monday, I will take them for an ice bath for them to recover as I don’t want to kill them,” he said. The former Zimbabwe mentor also said, with the good structure he had put with the called players, Eswatini stand a good chance to qualify for CHAN. Logarusic, apart from ‘Sikhali’, also called-up Young Buffaloes goalkeeper Mlungisi Nxumalo, former Mbabane Swallows (now Manzini Sea Birds) defender Ndumiso ‘Tower’ Ndaba and Nsingizini Hotspurs’ Bongiswa ‘Pumba’ Dlamini as well as Amathole’zinyathi winger Ali Matse.

Played

The first leg will be played in Francistown, Botswana, as Zimbabwe also does not have a stadium, which meets the Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards. This match has been penned for October 27, 2024, while the second leg will be hosted by Eswatini at Mbombela, three days later.  The coach further revealed that due to financial challenges, he willl be forced to go with 20 players to Botswana. Sihlangu will go into full-time camp after the league matches, on Sunday.

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