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SITSEBE DEAFETED BY THE BRAVE GLADIATORS ON HOME TURF
The Senior Women’s National Team, (Sitsebe SaMhlekazi) faced a tough challenge, suffering a 3-0 defeat against Namibia’s Brave Gladiators in the Women AFCON 2026 Qualifiers. The match took place at the Somhlolo National Stadium in Eswatini.
Fiola Vlite opened the scoring within the first minute of the match, setting a challenging tone for the home team. IVone Kooper extended Namibia’s lead in the 16th minute, leaving the Brave Gladiators ahead 2-0 at halftime.
Hilma Kanyama sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th minute, confirming their dominance in this first leg encounter.
Quality
Namibia’s Head coach Woody Jacobs praised Eswatini saying they have quality players. “Eswatini has quality players; it’s a pity they couldn’t get lucky to score goals as they had numerous chances.” He also emphasized the significance of their 3-0 victory away from home.
However, the Eswatini Head Coach Bongani Makhukhula acknowledged that the team’s respect for their opponents contributed to their downfall. “We respected our opponents, which resulted in us conceding those goals; however, moving forward we will rectify those mistakes,” Makhukhula stated, expressing optimism for future matches.
Looking ahead, Eswatini will again face Namibia in their second leg match on Tuesday, 25 February at Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg scheduled for 15:00 hrs.