MBABANE – The road to AFCON 2027 has officially opened for Eswatini, and Interim Coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane is banking on local hunger to ignite the flame.
Speaking at Sigwaca House today, Ntibane unveiled a 23-man squad ahead of a high-stakes, two-legged preliminary round tie against a returning Eritrea side. While the East Africans are returning from a four-year competitive exile, Sihlangu is focused inward, naming an entirely domestic-based roster to spearhead the initial preparations.
The squad selection signals a clear message: The door to the national team is wide open for those performing on home soil. Weekly training sessions are set to commence next Tuesday, with Ntibane opting to delay the arrival of the nation’s growing foreign legion.
“The internationals will join us at a later stage, as we are still to monitor them,” the coach confirmed, referring to the players now plying their trade outside the country’s borders. They include the recently departed Nsingizini Hotspurs trio of Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini, Sambulo ‘Masoso’ Simelane and Kwakhe Thwala, who are all in Zimbabwe.
The selection is headlined by the league’s most clinical finishers. Hleliso Gamedze, currently topping the scoring charts with 11 goals, is expected to shoulder the offensive burden. He is joined by fellow sharpshooter Malangeni Dlamini of Tabankulu Celtics, whose 10-goal haul this season made his inclusion inevitable.
Adding flair to the ranks is Young Buffaloes’ enterprising attacker Bongwa Matsebula, whose recent domestic form has been nothing short of sublime.
Eswatini finds itself in the preliminary round alongside 11 other lower-ranked nations, seeking to bridge the gap and join the continent’s elite 42 in the group stages. For a nation that—alongside Lesotho and Seychelles—remains one of the few (Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) members yet to grace an AFCON tournament, the pressure is mounting.
With the matches scheduled for the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) window of March 25–31, Ntibane’s local contingent has just over a month to prove they can handle the weight of a nation’s ambitions before the heavy hitters from outside arrive to bolster the ranks.
The squad:
GOALKEEPERS
1. Mlamuli Makhanya – Royal Leopards FC
2. Khanyakwezwe Shabalala – Nsingizini Hotspurs FC
3. Qiniso Nyawo – Moneni Pirates FC
4. Siyabonga Magagula – Ezulwini United FC
DEFENDERS
1. Gift Gamedze – Royal Leopards FC
2. Simanga Masangane – Royal Leopards FC
3. Nkosingphile Shongwe – Nsingizini Hotspurs FC
4. Newman Philiso – Mbabane Swallows FC
5. Siphosethu Mabilisa – Young Buffaloes FC
6. Mpendulo Simelane – Ezulwini United FC
MIDFIELDERS
1. Innocent Dlamini – Young Buffaloes FC
2. Mpendulo Tfomo – Manzini Sea Birds FC
3. Innocent Pakula – Moneni Pirates FC
4. Thubelihle Mavuso – Nsingizini Hotspurs FC
5. Philani Mkhontfo – Manzini Sea Birds FC
6. Bongwa Matsebula – Young Buffaloes FC
7. Siyabonga Mkhontfo – Mbabane Highlanders FC
8. Sizwe Khumalo – Nsingizini Hotspurs FC
9. Junior Magagula – Royal Leopards FC
STRIKERS
1. Joseph Kibonge – Manzini Sea Birds FC
2. Hleliso Gamedze – Royal Leopards FC
3. Malangeni Dlamini – Tabankulu Celtics FC
4. Njongo Mazibuko – Mbabane Swallows F
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