Mbabane: The senior national team Sihlangu Semnikati will now face Senegal in the COSAFA semi-final after playing to a 1-1 all draw against Botswana in their last game of group A.
The 1-1 all draw on Wednesday was enough for the national team to reach the semis of the 20th addition of Southern African countries. The national team will now appear for the fifth time in the semi-finals of the tournament. The Dominic Kunene led charges finished second in Group A after accumulating 7 points. Bafana Bafana top the Group A with 10 points.
Senegal on the other hand, finished top of Group B while Namibia, who will face Bafana Bafana in the other semi-final finished second despite losing 0-1 to Mozambique on a head-to- head as both countries finished with seven points and same goal difference. The Eswatini national team will now have a long stay in the tournament as they will play the semi-final on Friday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, kick off will be at 5pm while the other semi-final between South Africa and Mozambique will kick off at 2pm.The third play-off match will be played on Sunday, the same day with the final. The national team will be playing Senegal for the third time and it will be the second time this year having played 1-1 all draw in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON qualifiers) at the Stade Lat-Dior in This Stadium, Senegal early these year.
Last year November Senegal beat Sihlangu 4-1 in the first leg of the qualifiers played at the Somhlolo National Stadium
The national team head coach Dominic Kunene made three changes from the team that beat Zambia on Saturday. He brought in Sifiso Matse, Justice Figuareido and Felix Badenhorst because of the suspension of Fanelo Mamba, Mzwandile Mabelesa and Sabelo “Sawa” Gamedze who was on the bench in yesterday game. Sihlangu got their lone goal through the Mbabane Highlanders striker, Sabelo “Sikhali” Ndzinisa in the 20th minute. The game went to the break with Sihlangu on the lead and it was on the 65th minute when Botswana got their equalizing goal.
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