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Noel Munzabwa
AFTER an intense battle for a 2019 Total Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations second round qualifiers date with Zimbabwe, eastern neighbours Mozambique have emerged winners ahead of Eswatini in a two-legged stalemate first round concluded early this week.
It all seemed Eswatini were on course after a goalless first leg draw in Maputo last Friday night and a 32nd minute lead in the second leg played at Mavuso Sports Centre on Tuesday afternoon but all fortunes were dashed by Mozambique’s 60th minute equaliser which forced an away goal rule to separate the two.
Thus Mozambique will first host Zimbabwe in Maputo on the 20th of March 2019 for the first leg before the second leg in Harare four days later with the winner set to meet either South Africa or Angola.
So excruciating the pain will be for Eswatini as for the second Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers running, Eswatini Under-23 was booted by a dreaded away goals rule after playing out a 1-1 draw at home to Mozambique U-23 ending their dream to crack into a continental soccer jamboree.
And just like the 2015 qualifier, Eswatini Under-23 had braved out a first leg goalless draw raising a pregnancy of hope to at least go past the first round into the second round where Zimbabwe’s Young Warriors were the opponents in waiting but alas, Mozambique had other ideas.
The degree of fertile anticipation had been risen a bar high in the 32nd minute when Gcinwayinkosi Dlamini had thrust the hosts into the lead with a well taken effort inside the box which surged past the Mozambique goalkeeper Victor Guambe.
The Sifiso Ntibane-coached home side was to deservedly take the lead into the breather but as slender as the lead was, it was always going to be a dangerous foray for them to search for an extension to the lead.
And that qualification death was to strike on the hour mark when Fransisco Simbine struck the all-important goal that separated the two sides, giving the visitors a swim through to the second round where they will meet their western neighbours Zimbabwe next year in March.
The third round is set for the 5th to the 9th of June 2019 for the eight-team finals set for Egypt between 8-22 November in 2019, which will see the top three teams qualifying automatically for the 2020 Olympics Games.
The fourth-place finisher will play in a play-off against a team from the Asian Football Confederation. Nigeria are the defending champions.
derick.khumalo