Africa-Press – Eswatini. Eswatini…………………………….. (4)7
Mukelo 3rd, 5th, 39th, 56th, Siphephelo 14th, 90+5, Sizwe 82nd
Mauritius…………………………… (0)0
ESWATINI needed goals to have any chance of a historic semi-final appearance in the Inyatsi COSAFA Under-20 Championships and boy they harvested them.
Not only did Mduduzi ‘Sikhalo’ Nxumalo’s boys dismantled Mauritius with the alarming 7-0 score line, they also set the country’s biggest win in an international game, surpassing the Sihlangu 6-0 away win to Djibouti achieved on October 9, 2015.
At the blazing hot Somhlolo National Stadium, it was goals galore with four-goal hero Mukelo Nkambule scoring a brace inside the five minutes, the time it takes to boil an egg.
In the second minute, he skipped past an advancing Jean Darbon at the Mauritius poles to roll the ball into an empty net before slotting home another in the fifth.
This two goals set the tone for an exciting afternoon as the host ran rampage. A minute before the quarter hour mark, Eswatini were three goals up, this time captain Siphephelo Philiso rising the highest to nod home a Colani Dvuba corner kick.
Six minutes before the breather, Mukelo was on a hat-trick, beating Darbon on his near post after recieving a pass from the mercurial Sizwe Khumalo. While Mauritius came with resilience in the second half, there was not stopping Mukelo from completing his quartet as he raced to meet another delicious Sizwe pass to make it five for Eswatini.
Sizwe also got his name on the score sheet with eight minutes of regulation time remaining, tapping home from close range a Banele Nkambule cross on the left. Deep in Comoros referee Elfachad Attoumani’s five minutes added time, captain Siphephelo nailed the final goal on Mauritius coffin with a volley from the top of the penalty box.
Eswatini ended the match with 10 men after Philiswa Dube was sent for an early shower with two minutes of regulation remaining having collected two bookable offences.
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