Sihlangu vs Madagascar
Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium, 3pm
Following Madagascar’s impressive start to the 2025 COSAFA Cup with a 1-0 victory over Tanzania in the opening game, Sihlangu faces a must-win clash against the Malagasy.
The islanders sent a clear message to Sihlangu with a gritty 1-0 win over Tanzania on Saturday, taking an early lead in the three-team Group C. This victory set the tone for their upcoming showdown at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Mangaung, South Africa.
A first-half strike from Toky Niaina Rakotondraibe was the difference between the two sides, but it was the resolute defending of Mamisoa Alexandre Rakotoson that ultimately secured the victory. His disciplined performance at the back earned him the Man of the Match award, as Madagascar’s defence held firm to keep Tanzania at bay in the second half, clinching three crucial points.
Sihlangu coach, Zdravko Logarusic, believes there is no time for lamenting after being drawn alongside Madagascar and guest nation Tanzania in this year’s regional competition. The Croatian stressed that the best response to the challenging Group C draw was through thorough preparation and unity of purpose.
“The draw looks difficult, but we can’t cry and can’t change anything about it. Our job is to prepare ourselves,” he said.
He added, “We know what to do if we want to achieve a result. We have to get through this round and reach the semi-finals. Let’s prepare properly and play as a unit. Let’s focus on what we need to do.”
Eswatini have reached the semi-finals of the COSAFA Cup on five occasions, proving their potential for upset results. In 2003, Sihlangu made it to the last four but lost to eventual winners Zimbabwe. In 2002, they were beaten in the semi-finals by South Africa, who also went on to win the competition.
In 1999, they reached the semifinals but were narrowly defeated by Namibia on penalties after a 1-1 draw. They also made the Last Four in 2016, only to be beaten 5-1 by South Africa, who went on to lift the trophy, while Eswatini secured third place by defeating DR Congo 1-0. The side returned to the semifinals in 2021, where they narrowly lost on penalties to West African guest nation Senegal, before bouncing back to defeat Mozambique in a penalty shoot-out for the bronze medal.
In 2022, Eswatini topped their group and reached the quarterfinals but were eliminated by Senegal in another dramatic penalty shoot-out, which ended 10-9 in favour of the West Africans. Ironically, prior to 1999, Eswatini had never won a game in the competition but are now consistently regarded as a strong threat in the COSAFA Cup. However, in 2004, Eswatini endured a competition low when they lost their quarter-final tie at home to Zimbabwe by a record 5-0 scoreline. The match was abandoned following a crowd riot that brought it to a premature halt. In 2016, they topped a group that included Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Seychelles, before defeating Zambia on penalties in the quarterfinals.
They also had a couple of quarterfinal appearances in 2017 and 2018 but failed to progress past that stage. In 2019, 2023, and 2024, they were eliminated in the first round.
Attacking midfielder Felix Badenhorst remains the all-time top scorer in the COSAFA Cup with nine goals, one more than the legendary Zimbabwean Peter Ndlovu and his compatriot Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa.
