MBABANE – Revealed!
The Eswatini Football Association (EFA), through Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe, has revealed that national team Sihlangu Head Coach Zdravko ‘Loga’ Logarusic is expected to be back in the country next week.
The update from the local football governing body comes after this publication reported that with just less than a month left before Sihlangu plays Cameroon in the 2026 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup Qualifiers, the gaffer was still missing.
Sihlangu have currently played six matches and have four games remaining before the qualifiers conclude. They are at the bottom of their table with two points.
Eswatini’s last game in the World Cup Qualifiers was on March 23, 2025, when they played against Mauritius.
The two nations drew 3-3, with Sihlangu finding the back of the net through a brace from Philani ‘Mkasabuli’ Mkhonto, while the other goal came via Mayibongwe ‘Suarez’ Mabuza.
The Croatian tactician’s last assignment with Sihlangu was during the 2025 Hollywoodbets Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup, which was played in Bloemfontein. Sihlangu failed to progress to the semi-finals after losing their match against guest nation Tanzania with a 2-1 score.
According to Radebe, the coach is currently in Croatia but will return to the country next week to prepare the team for the qualifiers.
“He aims to announce the squad by the end of the third week of the month to allow for at least a week-long camp before the matches,” Radebe said.
Radebe also said the Croatian tactician praised the efforts of local clubs in conditioning players for the upcoming season, recognising the importance of pre-season preparation for the football clubs.
He further disclosed that Logarusic plans to include a mix of experienced and young players in the squad for the upcoming qualifiers.
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