: ALBINO KILLINGS
Should Police Provide Protection To Albinos?
COSAFA CUP AN EYE OPENER
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I must state that I have been impressed with the showing by the national team, Sihlangu in the ongoing Council of Southern African Football Association (COSAFA) Senior Challenge in Zimbabwe.
The fact that the nation’s pride were able to beat their Seychelles’ counterparts 2-1 and narrowly lost by a solitary goal to Botswana is credible, especially considering that the country still stands a chance to advance to the tournament’s last eight.
Should they win their game against Comoros this afternoon and pray that the result in the other match between Botswana and Seychelles goes their way, they will be singing all the way to the quarter-finals.
What is of paramount importance is the fact that the country has managed to get a win without the so-called stars plying their trades outside the country’s borders. At least, finally, most have seen that the country’s national team can perform well without the international players. The onus is now on the squad coach, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, to continue from where the locally-based lads have transported the team to concerning the COSAFA tournament.
preparations
The South African-born mentor will now know better than to begin preparations for other upcoming international tournaments banking his hopes on the possible availability of the international players, only for his hopes to be blown sky high at the last minute with the players failing to join the rest of the Swazi troops awaiting war.
At least this time around, it has been reported that it’s been their various teams that have forbidden them the chance to join their other Sihlangu team-mates ahead of the tournament, claiming the tournament is not recognised in the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) calendar.
After all, who can blame these South African teams for stamping their authority for most often than not they do release some of the players to honour other Sihlangu matches but to everyone’s surprise and annoyance, the players end up just roaming the streets of Mbabane and Manzini and never join the national team?
I passionately hold a strong belief that the national team can do without these international players as seen in the recent matches, where the team was composed of only the locally-based players who are still willing to prove their worth in the international arena. Most of the locally-based players still have their heads level to the ground including the likes of Mathokoza ‘Tokyo’ Thwala, Mxolisi ‘Stopper’ Mtsetfwa, Mzwandile Ndzimandze, Sifiso ‘CJ’ Dlamini, Raphael Ntimane, Malungisa ‘Hurrah’ Dlamini and you name them.
They still know and appreciate the value of playing for the national team and acknowledge that they can never be bigger than Sihlangu in as far as taking their international careers to greater heights is concerned.
We have been beggars for quite too long and it is time we become choosers. We do have a choice of grooming and exposing the locally-based players to international matches to give them the necessary experience to bring back happiness to the hearts of the Swazi supporters who have suffered a lot because of Sihlangu’s defeats.
We always bring the international players for our international friendly matches that are used as build-ups to such tournaments as the COSAFA Senior Challenge and eventually they do not make it to the actual games they have been preparing for.
What the coach is then forced to do is rope in locally-based players some of whom have not had the chance to play in the international friendly matches against the other countries at the eleventh hour.
instances
In other instances, we just go to play other countries and lose and that’s just it. Players go in and out of the team and there is just no continuity in the grooming of the squad. How are we expected to have a base when we have to wait and pray then later see if some of the needed players do want to be part of the national team?
The other locally-based players who defied all calls and did not heed to the call-ups to join the national team should also bury their heads in deep shame.
They are a disgrace to the nation and should be schooled on what national duty is instead of hiding behind flimsy excuses of not joining the team on time.
They should also be scrapped off and a new chapter for willing and cooperative players should be opened. At least, we had one player, Sandile Motsa, who showed his willingness to be part of the Sihlangu ensemble but could not leave for the tournament because of school commitments.
Mr Mashaba Sir, from now on, you and the entire Swazi nation should just know that we don’t have the international players at our disposal and from the onset should use the locally- based ones to prepare for future tournaments.
I can just imagine how frustrating it has been for the former South Africa’s Orlando Pirates’ Manager to learn at the eleventh hour that he won’t have the South African-based players for the tournament.
Having to then make amends by turning to other players that were initially not in his plans just before departure added salt to the already gashing wound, especially when he had been making his plans along the international players.
released
As harsh as this may be, but to the Swazi international players who have been continuously shunning Sihlangu when released by their teams to be part of the team, they should keep their international careers and we will keep our Sihlangu, which we love so dearly. Whenever and wherever you read this through a hard copy or through the internet you should all know that you are not bigger than the country and let alone the game.
On a parting note, I would like to wish my profound luck to the national troops that are presently representing the country in the COSAFA tournament as they tread to the unknown facing Comoros this afternoon.
This is a must-win match for the whole Swazi nation and you should all know that the whole nation is behind you and even if you eventually bow out of the tournament we will know deep in our hearts that you tried your best.
NB: The author of this column Sabelo Ndzinisa is currently away in the land of Robert Mugabe covering the nation’s pride Sihlangu Semnikati in the COSAFA Senior Challenge and will be back with you dear readers very soon.
The fact that the nation’s pride were able to beat their Seychelles’ counterparts 2-1 and narrowly lost by a solitary goal to Botswana is credible, especially considering that the country still stands a chance to advance to the tournament’s last eight.
Should they win their game against Comoros this afternoon and pray that the result in the other match between Botswana and Seychelles goes their way, they will be singing all the way to the quarter-finals.
What is of paramount importance is the fact that the country has managed to get a win without the so-called stars plying their trades outside the country’s borders. At least, finally, most have seen that the country’s national team can perform well without the international players. The onus is now on the squad coach, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, to continue from where the locally-based lads have transported the team to concerning the COSAFA tournament.
preparations
The South African-born mentor will now know better than to begin preparations for other upcoming international tournaments banking his hopes on the possible availability of the international players, only for his hopes to be blown sky high at the last minute with the players failing to join the rest of the Swazi troops awaiting war.
At least this time around, it has been reported that it’s been their various teams that have forbidden them the chance to join their other Sihlangu team-mates ahead of the tournament, claiming the tournament is not recognised in the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) calendar.
After all, who can blame these South African teams for stamping their authority for most often than not they do release some of the players to honour other Sihlangu matches but to everyone’s surprise and annoyance, the players end up just roaming the streets of Mbabane and Manzini and never join the national team?
I passionately hold a strong belief that the national team can do without these international players as seen in the recent matches, where the team was composed of only the locally-based players who are still willing to prove their worth in the international arena. Most of the locally-based players still have their heads level to the ground including the likes of Mathokoza ‘Tokyo’ Thwala, Mxolisi ‘Stopper’ Mtsetfwa, Mzwandile Ndzimandze, Sifiso ‘CJ’ Dlamini, Raphael Ntimane, Malungisa ‘Hurrah’ Dlamini and you name them.
They still know and appreciate the value of playing for the national team and acknowledge that they can never be bigger than Sihlangu in as far as taking their international careers to greater heights is concerned.
We have been beggars for quite too long and it is time we become choosers. We do have a choice of grooming and exposing the locally-based players to international matches to give them the necessary experience to bring back happiness to the hearts of the Swazi supporters who have suffered a lot because of Sihlangu’s defeats.
We always bring the international players for our international friendly matches that are used as build-ups to such tournaments as the COSAFA Senior Challenge and eventually they do not make it to the actual games they have been preparing for.
What the coach is then forced to do is rope in locally-based players some of whom have not had the chance to play in the international friendly matches against the other countries at the eleventh hour.
instances
In other instances, we just go to play other countries and lose and that’s just it. Players go in and out of the team and there is just no continuity in the grooming of the squad. How are we expected to have a base when we have to wait and pray then later see if some of the needed players do want to be part of the national team?
The other locally-based players who defied all calls and did not heed to the call-ups to join the national team should also bury their heads in deep shame.
They are a disgrace to the nation and should be schooled on what national duty is instead of hiding behind flimsy excuses of not joining the team on time.
They should also be scrapped off and a new chapter for willing and cooperative players should be opened. At least, we had one player, Sandile Motsa, who showed his willingness to be part of the Sihlangu ensemble but could not leave for the tournament because of school commitments.
Mr Mashaba Sir, from now on, you and the entire Swazi nation should just know that we don’t have the international players at our disposal and from the onset should use the locally- based ones to prepare for future tournaments.
I can just imagine how frustrating it has been for the former South Africa’s Orlando Pirates’ Manager to learn at the eleventh hour that he won’t have the South African-based players for the tournament.
Having to then make amends by turning to other players that were initially not in his plans just before departure added salt to the already gashing wound, especially when he had been making his plans along the international players.
released
As harsh as this may be, but to the Swazi international players who have been continuously shunning Sihlangu when released by their teams to be part of the team, they should keep their international careers and we will keep our Sihlangu, which we love so dearly. Whenever and wherever you read this through a hard copy or through the internet you should all know that you are not bigger than the country and let alone the game.
On a parting note, I would like to wish my profound luck to the national troops that are presently representing the country in the COSAFA tournament as they tread to the unknown facing Comoros this afternoon.
This is a must-win match for the whole Swazi nation and you should all know that the whole nation is behind you and even if you eventually bow out of the tournament we will know deep in our hearts that you tried your best.
NB: The author of this column Sabelo Ndzinisa is currently away in the land of Robert Mugabe covering the nation’s pride Sihlangu Semnikati in the COSAFA Senior Challenge and will be back with you dear readers very soon.
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