The Eswatini Football Association (EFA) has missed its self-imposed deadline to appoint a new head coach for the national team, Sihlangu. The deadline, set for the end of September, has passed without an official announcement. This development comes 374 days after the EFA announced a mutual agreement to part ways with Croatian coach Zdravko 'Loga' Logarušić.
The EFA had committed to naming a new coach by the end of September, as stated by the Minister for Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima, during the ministry's first-quarter performance report debate on August 11. Nzima had replied that an appointment was expected by the end of September as the recruitment process was ongoing. However, the association has yet to make an official announcement.
The prolonged vacancy has left Sihlangu without competitive action, even during the current FIFA international break. The EFA had advertised the Sihlangu post in April, with applications closing in May. Manzini Sea Birds coach Friday Myeni was among those shortlisted to lead Sihlangu on an interim basis pending a permanent appointment.
EFA Marketing and Communications Manager Muzi 'Rhoo' Radebe maintained that the recruitment process remains a work in progress. Radebe indicated that the relevant authorities are still finalising the process and that the coach will be unveiled once matters are concluded. He also partly attributed the delay to the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The delay in appointing a new coach has raised concerns about the administrative challenges, financial constraints, or internal disagreements within the EFA. In some cases, federations struggle to meet the salary expectations of experienced coaches, while newly-elected boards sometimes prefer to restart the process entirely.
The EFA had appointed Sifiso 'Nuro' Ntibane as interim head coach, assisted by Ernest Mavuso, after Logarušić's departure. However, the technical duo vacated their positions after Sihlangu suffered an embarrassing 4-1 aggregate defeat against Eritrea in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations preliminary qualifiers.
The EFA's failure to appoint a new coach has significant implications for the national team's performance and development. The association's CEO, Frederick Mngomezulu, had expressed confidence in mid-September that the deadline would be met, but the delay has left fans and stakeholders anxious about the team's future prospects.
Key points
- The EFA has missed its deadline to appoint a new head coach, 374 days after Zdravko Logarusic's departure.
- The delay is attributed to the ongoing recruitment process and the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
- The EFA's failure to appoint a new coach has significant implications for the national team's performance and development.
