Africa-Press – Eswatini. SIHLANGU captain Sifiso Matse says they will take the field knowing they cannot afford to lose when they face familiar foes Cape Verde in tomorrow’s 2026 FIFA world Cup Qualifiers match.
Eswatini are in Group D along with Cameroon, Angola, Libya, Cape Verde and Mauritius with the nation’s pride in action for their second group match. The game will be played at Mbombela Stadium and comes after Sihlangu’s 0-1 loss at the hands of Libya at the same venue last Friday.
Matse said the team was geared for this match having played Cape Verde twice in their AFCON Qualifiers, which saw them draw one and lose the other to the island nation. He said they knew exactly what to expect from the opposition and they wanted to register their first win in the qualifiers.
The captain said it was easier to prepare for opponents they knew compared to their match against unfamiliar Libya. “We cannot afford to lose the match against Cape Verde. We will use the experience from previous games to win this one. We know what losing this match means,” he said.
The midfielder thanked the nation for supporting the national team.
“It is not easy being the captain as I have to lead by example. Thankfully, with the assistance I get from the technical team and my teammates, everything is going well. We are working as a team and we only need to win games,” he said.
Cape Verde have named a 24-man squad for their qualifying games against Angola and Eswatini, including veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who is three appearances shy of becoming the nation’s most-capped player.
Fatih Karagumruk striker Ryan Mendes, who is one goal behind first-placed Heldon in the nation’s all-time scoring chart, has also been named in the squad and should lead the attack tomorrow.
The island nation played to a nil-all draw in their first match against Angola which has seen them occupy fourth place, while Eswatini is one place below them.
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