Africa-Press – Eswatini. To: Eswatini Football Association
cc: Sihlangu supporters
Re: Resignation as Sihlangu Head Coach
I, Dominic Kunene, hereby resign as Sihlangu Head Coach with immediate effect. I understand there are three months left in my contract but I feel it is high time I do the honourable thing after repeatedly failing the nation. With the World Cup qualifiers set to start in about 100 days’ time, I feel it is the right time to step down to give the incoming coach enough time to prepare for the qualifying games. Failing to win against ‘B teams’ in the recently-ended COSAFA Cup in Durban was the last straw. My reasons for the expected resignation are outlined below.
Team selection
Over the past year, my team selection left much to be desired. Somehow I feel like my background with the security forces has clouded my judgement. Some players in the security forces teams who ‘have long reached their sell-by-date’ continue to dominate my squad. Despite calls and pressure, I have repeatedly and inexplicably ignored players who deserve to get the nod. They include the likes of Felix Badenhorst, Justice Figuareido and Njabulo Thwala. The least said about my selection for the goalkeeping department, the better. Despite an opportunity to include players like Badenhorst and Figuareido after the failed Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying bid in June, I hardly tweaked the goal-shy squad ahead of the recently-ended Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA Cup) in South Africa. It took me the last two games of the tournament of the group stages to realise the need to blend the ageing squad with the younger players. It was already too late, as the damage had already been done in the 0-1 setback against Botswana.
Poor success rate
I have nothing to show for my stay except the 2021 COSAFA Cup bronze. Since then, the team has been on a downward trend. The side went for almost a year without scoring a goal until the surprise 2-1 win over Namibia recently. This alone speaks volumes about my ability to steer the team to greater heights. I have inexplicably opted for a defensive approach with no success. Since coming on board, I have beaten only one country in a qualifying match. That is 199th ranked Somalia back in March 2022. It was 3-0 win in the first leg and a 2-1 victory in the return match. This is Africa’s weakest team, as per the latest FIFA rankings. This is where the team managed to score the highest number of goals (three) in a qualifier in my tenure.
My game management has been found wanting most of the time, due to my defensive approach. Allowing an average South Africa side to turn the game on its head to beat us 2-1 with 14 minutes to spare recently paints an unwanted picture. Overall, my record does not look for riveting reading.
Development plan
In the past year, the national Under-20s and Under-23s were both in action, which is rare. I missed out on an opportunity to choose some of the outstanding players for monitoring and inclusion in the senior national team.
build
These are the same players I would have included in the COSAFA squad to build a national team for the future. Having failed with the veterans before in the regional tournament, surely there was an opportunity to employ a different strategy. While teams like Lesotho are making notable progress, we are still struggling to even reach semi-finals of the COSAFA Cup. In my tenure, there have been no high-profile international matches to test the players’ resolve against stronger opposition. In the past, Sihlangu used to travel as far as East Africa to play the likes of Kenya in an international friendly. That hardly happened during my tenure. As I pen this resignation letter, I’m still without a strong starting 11 three years into office. My successor will have to start afresh, which is a sign of lack of progress.
Empowerment
Like some of my predecessors, I have failed to take advantage of empowerment opportunities. As a national team coach, I cannot solely rely on courses offered by the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) to enrich my knowledge. The starting point for me was supposed to be online courses offered by top coaches who include Pitso Mosimane. Life after national team coaching should never be the same. It is outdated for a former national team coach to fight for positions at club level with ‘ordinary’ gaffers. After the stint with Sihlangu, I should be a marketable brand armed with more certificates to attract international clubs and national teams. I wish to bury my head in my hands in shame.
Message for fans
To the Sihlangu fans, I do not have enough words to apologise for raising hopes. I owe you an apology for ignoring your calls to select all deserving players to the team. It makes sense now. Inasmuch as Eswatini is a small country with players who play football on a part-time basis, we are blessed with talent. It is better to lose with all our stars in the team.
Way forward
I humbly request that I leave with my entire technical bench so that the new coach can start on a new slate. I would advise the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) to bring on board a caretaker coach soonest. There are plenty of cable coaches who include the likes of Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane and Caleb Ngwenya. They can be on board while a search for a permanent coach continues. In searching for my successor, the EFA should cast its net wide and consider international applicants to bring back the nation’s confidence on the team. I will always cherish this opportunity and I’m grateful for the unwarranted benefit of the doubt. I still cannot believe EFA has allowed me to stay in office for over 1 200 days doing absolutely nothing while raking in over E450 000 in earnings.
Yours faithfully,
Dominic Kunene
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
