Swazi Observer

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CALEB, ANTHONY TIPPED FOR SIHLANGU POST

By Sabelo Gwebu | 2021-01-26

SOCCER - THE Eswatini Football Association (EFA) is in the process of hiring the senior national team Sihlangu assistant coach.

The post was left vacant following the demise of Gcina 'Magiyane' Dlamini, who succumbed to COVID-19 related complications on Christmas Eve.

It has been reliably gathered that Green Mamba coach Caleb Ngwenya and incumbent Sihlangu goalkeeper coach Anthony Mdluli have been earmarked for the position.

Both coaches are not new to Sihlangu duties, as they have been at the helm at Sihlangu on different capacities across their careers. In his two seasons, Ngwenya has won the MTN Premier League (2018/19) and Ingwenyama Cup (2019/20) with Green Mamba.

He is also a former head coach and assistant coach at Sihlangu. Mdluli held the position of Sihlangu head coach an interim basis after the departure of Dutch strategist Pieter de Jong in 2018, and he led the senior national side in the 2018 AFCON Qualifiers, where Ngwenya was his assistant.

Also in the picture for a Sihlangu appointment is former Young Buffaloes and Green Mamba goalkeeper coach Themba Dlamini,. only if Anthony Mdluli is elevated to the assistant coach post.

The EFA Technical Committee, headed by Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman Mark Carmichael is under pressure to fill the vacant post before Sihlangu begin preparations for the remaining two 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier dead rubber matches against Guinea-Bissau (home) on March 22 and Senegal (away) on 30 March.

Efforts to get comment from Carmichael proved futile at the time of compiling this report as his phone rang unanswered. EFA Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said the executive committee was yet to meet and make decisions on football matters including the replacement or filling of the vacant Sihlangu assistant coach post.

"Unfortunately because of COVID-19 and the recent strict measures put by government, the EFA executive committee has not met to make decisions on many football matters," he said.

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