Africa-Press – Eswatini. The TOTALEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 Qualifiers first leg match between Eswatini and Somalia is currently impossible for Royal Leopard’s six players in the squad.
As reported last month that the qualifiers clashed with Leopard’s TOTALEnergies CAF Confederation Cup fixture against Libya’s Al-Ittihad and could cause availability challenges for the national team, the situation is now becoming a reality even for the Eswatini Football Association (EFA). The local football mother body had initially been reluctant to accept the situation when they were asked about the selection of eight Leopard players by head coach Dominic Kunene. The latter had said the EFA promised him they would be available for the Somalia clash.
However, Leopard play Al-Ittihad on Sunday afternoon while Sihlangu play Somalia away in Tanzania on Wednesday afternoon, which will be under the official FIFA international break. FIFA denotes Federation of International Football Associations. While the matches do not play on the same day, what makes it impossible for the Leopard players to play against Somalia in the first leg is that there is travelling involved and it will only see the police side return home late on Wednesday. “We’re playing on Sunday in Libya and we’re leaving the country tomorrow (today) morning. The only player we have available for Sihlangu and is in camp is Phephisani Msibi. The others went there today for training and then re-joined us.
Need
“The EFA has communicated to us that they still need the players for the Somalia match but I don’t know how they will have them because we’re going and only returning next Wednesday as we’re playing on Sunday and then leave Libya on Tuesday to Tunis, from there to Qatar and back to South Africa on Wednesday afternoon,” responded Hurube when asked if their players were in the national team camp or with them and if they would be available for Sihlangu next Wednesday. Hurube said as a club they would prefer the EFA to have the players for the second leg, especially because after the Ittihad game, they would need rest while also returning home to a tough domestic schedule. “The second leg is one that our players can be readily available. Yes, the EFA did tell us they wanted the players but we don’t know how. Maybe they will intercept them in Tunis or have them immediately after the match but we’d prefer the second leg for them,” he said. Meanwhile, EFA Communications and Marketing Officer Muzi Radebe said the delegation for the Somalia clash was not yet decided.
Logistics
“It’s early to discuss national team logistics now as we don’t have the national team delegation yet, but once it is confirmed, we’ll have it published,” responded Radebe when asked about the situation. He was pressed on the flight challenges involved that would also mean fatigue for the players while he was also made aware that Leopard would be flying across Europe and Africa as of Tuesday morning on their way back home, and will only be in South Africa next Wednesday afternoon. “True, we have to be proactive but this is currently an administrative issue which we can’t yet communicate. We do note the games are too close to each other and there are travelling logistics involved,” he said.
He said he would not pre-empt what measures would be taken but it has never happened before that the EFA would spend money to fly players from one country to another, so they could be part of the national team matches especially under such circumstances. No immediate comment was forthcoming from the national head coach Dominic Kunene whose cellphone rang unanswered. Meanwhile, the six players are Mzwandile Mabelesa, Sifiso Matse, Mlamuli Msibi, Machawe Dlamini, Sikhumbuzo Magagula and Junior Magagula.
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