RARE CLIMB FOR SIHLANGU

MBABANE - The national team, Sihlangu, have climbed a position in the latest International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rankings, which were released yesterday afternoon.

The Logarusic Zdravko-coached squad moved up from 160th to 159th place, marking a significant improvement in their global standing. The one-place rise was influenced by Sihlangu’s 1-1 draw against Guinea-Bissau in the recently-concluded TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers. Although the team failed to secure a spot in next year’s AFCON finals in Morocco, the positive result has had a positive impact on their FIFA ranking.

Boost

The improvement in Eswatini’s global football statistics will serve as a morale boost ahead of their back-to-back TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) decisive qualifying fixtures against Madagascar, scheduled for late next month. It is worth noting that the results of this competition are not considered by FIFA when ranking nations. Madagascar, on the other hand, experienced a downfall in the latest rankings, dropping from 109th  to 115th place. Sihlangu’s highest FIFA ranking was in 2017, when they reached 88th  position, while their lowest was in October 2012, when they were ranked 190th in world football.

Despite attempts to reach Zdravko and Assistant Coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane for comments, they declined to provide any insights on the latest rankings. Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer, Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe, also refrained from commenting, stating that this was a technical matter best addressed by the coach. The next FIFA rankings will be released on  December  12, 2024.

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