BY SABELO GWEBU
MBABANE– The state-of-the-art Mbombela Stadium in neighboring Mpumalanga will host Sihlangu clash with Cape Verde next Tuesday.
The two nations will face off in match day four of TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in a 3 pm kick-off. The nation’s pride is currently away in Cape Verde for the corresponding away fixture as Dominic Kunene and his charges search for their first win in the qualifying campaign.
Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe confirmed the venue of the game. Mbombela Stadium has already included the fixture in its schedule for the rest of the month.
“Sihlangu will host the AFCON match day four qualifier at Mbombela Stadium,” he said.
It will be a happy return for the senior football national team in Mbombela as they outclassed Somalia at the very same venue during the preliminary round.
Currently, home to Dstv Premiership side TS Galaxy, the stadium has a seating capacity of 43 500. The main features of the stadium are the 18 majestic orange giraffe columns that support the roof structure and the black and white Zebra skin-patterned seating.
The construction cost of the stadium was E1.2 billion and its cost per covered seat was the lowest of the World Cup Stadium constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup staged in South Africa. The Somhlolo National Stadium remains banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is currently undergoing renovations that have reached in excess of E45 million.
