Morning balandzeli. Just thinking loud about Sihlangu’s disastrous defeats these days. I may have the following in mind:
¶ Lack of assembling the players, no friendly matches,
and no vigorous training.¶ No combinations,
¶ Late assembling of the team, and
¶ No effective formation when playing both away and home games.
Sihlangu Semnikati is rock bottom in Group I with a single point and is already eliminated in the 2021 African Champions Qualifiers.
| s | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | PTS | Form | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senegal Senegal | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 12 | W W W W – | ||
| 2 | Congo Congo | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 | D W W L – | ||
| 3 | Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 3 | L L L W – | ||
| 4 | Eswatini Eswatini | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 1 | D L L L – |
Recently, the senior national team lost 0-2 to Congo Brazzaville in game played at Mavuso Sports Centre and drew 0-0 in an away match in Congo. The men’s U-20s however crashed out in the group stages of the COSAFA Championship played between 03-13 December in Port Elizabeth last year.
Eswatini was disqualified alongside Botswana, Zimbabwe and Comoros for alleged fielding over aged players in the men’s U-17s. Sitsebe Samhlekazi on another note also crashed in the group stages of the Women COSAFA Tournament in November.
The terrible performances by the national teams has triggered a hullabaloo across social media soccer groups with fans cursing, jesting and showing disinterest in sports success in the country.
Bone of Contention
The bone of contention seems to be structural and policy issues around sports administration in the country.
Fans point a middle finger towards the local football body, Eswatini National Football Association leadership as being responsible for the decay of sports in the country.
Amongst topical issues raised by fans is the predictable poor performance of national teams, incompetent leadership, lack of sports facilities as well as below average investment in sports.
Sihlangu Semnikati
The fans are dejected and discredit especially the criterion for selecting national team players. They feel that it is based on favoritism as it deliberately sidelines players that have potential to deliver once catapulted in the national duties.
for instance, the fans bemoan the exclusion of seasoned players like Sawa Gamedze, Tonny Tsabendze and Wonder Nhleko, to mention but a few which they believe deserve to be included and could also at the same time nurture and groom talent amongst youngsters.
Sebakhulile ngyavuma kebha ibhola yabo yinhle kakhulu futsi nawakha i team like sihlangu be-kufanele sophikhe lapha nalapha nalabadzala babe khona labasayati lendlela yekudlala ku national team, one of the fans said.
Need for Leadership Overhaul
The fans further believe that time has come for the likes of Eswatini Football Association President Adam Bomber Mtsetfwa, Vice President Dr Comfort Shongwe and the Chief Executive Officer Frederick Mngomezulu to be dethroned.
Old aged people basibuysela emuva straight emave ayatfutfuka ngetemdlalo tsine dololo…,” another fan said.
,,,we the youth must demand what we want and noma sibeka bantfu etikhundleni sikhetse the fresh minds people like Bo member of parliament waseSphofaneni ngyabekisa. Le old age aseyime kancane,’ narrated one of football fanatic.
These individuals are crucified because fans feel they are incompetent and have lackadaisical attitude in solving critical issues to sports such as the epidemic poor performance of national teams.
Exclusion
Football fans community is heartbroken by exclusion of their voices in matters relating to sports in the country.
Reference was made to the national radiom Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Service Sports Show Program on Fridays and Mondays morning where they say there is no air space dedicated to fans to comment on the sports yet fans are a major stakeholder in the sports.
Improve Sporting Facilities
Fans are berating lack of standard and proper stadiums in the country. Fans say the country lack international recognized stadiums of which was proven by international community back in 2010 shying away from using the country stadiums for training during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Close reference is also made to Somhlolo National Stadium which is in phase 1 of its refurbishment after it was declared by CAF back in 2017 as no-longer fit to host games.
Wortnoting also is that the Old Trade Fair Ground in Manzini is in a process to be demolished to build the a shopping mall.
Improved investment in sports
Fans further feel the country has yet not invested much in sports of which if government realizes it, it will accelerate sustainable development of sports in the country.
Fans believe that once enough resources are chanelled towards sports, the following might happen:
- Salaries of players will increase: this will avoid the situation where security forces teams players dominant the national team call-up register so to avoid an increased wage bill for the national team.
- Sihlangu Semnikati will also be able to organize friend matches unlike for the previous continental assignment where players have spent 7-8 months without kicking the ball and then eventually went straight to an international duty without a practice match.
- Sihlangu Semnikati will also be able to go for international camps and the country will be able to send coaches outside the country for training.
- Improved and standard football facilities will be constructed in the county.
Soccer Channel Eswatini 