Eswatini national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Eswatini women's national football team.

The Eswatini national football team, nicknamed Sihlangu Semnikati (King's Shield),^[3] represents Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, in international football and is controlled by the Eswatini Football Association. It has never qualified for the World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Swaziland's best performance in an international tournament is a semi-final finish in the COSAFA Cup.

Eswatini

Nickname(s)	Sihlangu Semnikati (King's Shield)
Association	Eswatini Football Association (EFA)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	COSAFA (Southern Africa)
Head coach	Zdravko Logarusic
Captain	Mthunzi Mkhontfo
Most caps	Sabelo Ndzinisa (75)
Top scorer	Sabelo Ndzinisa (17)
Home stadium	Somhlolo National Stadium
FIFA code	SWZ
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	155 (10 July 2025)[1]
Highest	88 (April–May 2017)
Lowest	190 (September–October 2012)
First international
Swaziland 2–0 Malawi  (Swaziland; 1 May 1968)
Biggest win
Djibouti 0–6 Swaziland  (Djibouti City, Djibouti; 9 October 2015)
Biggest defeat
Egypt 10–0 Swaziland  (Alexandria, Egypt; 22 March 2013)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances	19 (first in 1997)
Best result	Third place (2016, 2021)[2] Semi-finals (1999, 2002, 2003)
Medal record COSAFA Cup 2016 Namibia Team 2021 South Africa

On 8 June 2008, they achieved their first win in a World Cup qualifier since 1992, beating 2006 finalists Togo 2–1 on home soil. The team's best recent performance came in 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification where Eswatini finished second in Group L above Guinea and Malawi.

History

Beginnings

The team played its first international match against Malawi, winning 2–0.^[4] For the first decade, the national team only played Malawi and Zambia, failing to register a single win from 1969 until 1984, when they beat Lesotho 3–1 in a friendly at home. Following the Lesotho win, Eswatini entered the 1986 African Cup of Nations qualifiers for the first time, losing 1–8 on aggregate to Zimbabwe. The team then entered the 1987 All-Africa Games qualifiers however they lost 2–9 on aggregate against Malawi.

The first time that Eswatini progressed past the first round of a qualifying competition was for the 1990 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, beating Tanzania 3–1 on penalties after drawing the tie 2–2. In the second round they faced Malawi who knocked them out again, 1–3 after two legs. Eswatini next entered the 1990 SADCC Tournament, advancing past the group stage on goal difference ahead of Malawi, before losing to Zimbabwe on penalties (5–3) in the semi-finals following a 4–4 draw after extra-time. In the 1992 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, Eswatini beat Zambia (2–1) during the preliminary group stage but finished in third and failed to progress.

Eswatini entered the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time, but ended up in second place behind Cameroon thereby not advancing to the final round. For the 1998 World Cup first qualification round, Eswatini lost twice to Gabon (0–1 and 0–2) and were eliminated. They failed to make it past the first qualifying round for the inaugural 1997 COSAFA Cup, where they lost 0–4 to Mozambique, and in the 1998 COSAFA Cup where they lost to an own-goal in extra-time against Angola (0–1). Eswatini returned to the 2000 African Cup of Nations qualification matches after missing the previous three tournaments but they fell 2–3 against Madagascar and were eliminated. They managed to qualify for the 1999 COSAFA Cup after beating Mozambique 3–1 in the qualifiers, then beat Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals 4–3 on penalties after drawing 1–1 in regular time, with Bongani Mdluli having scored the equaliser for Eswatini in the 89th minute. In the semi-finals they lost to Namibia on penalties, 2–4.

21st century

Eswatini were eliminated by Angola in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, losing 1–8 on aggregate. They then lost to Kenya in the 2002 African Cup of Nations qualification round 3–5. Their next success in a competition came in the 2002 COSAFA Cup where they qualified ahead of Namibia (2–1) and beat Zimbabwe (2–0) to advance to the semis. There they lost to South Africa (1–4) who would go on to win the tournament. In the 2004 AFCON qualifiers, Eswatini finished third in their group, two points behind Libya and three behind DR Congo therefore missing out on qualification.

In the following tournaments, Eswatini failed to progress past the first qualifying round. They finished bottom of their qualifying groups until 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification where they finished in second on goal-difference ahead of Guinea but were three points off of qualifying, behind Zimbabwe. In the 2018 World Cup qualifying, Eswatini thrashed Djibouti 8–1 over two legs, but were beaten 0–2 by Nigeria to end their hopes of qualification.

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

Somalia  v  Eswatini

20 March 2025 AFCON qualification	Somalia	0–3	Eswatini	El Jadida, Morocco
		Report	Figuareido 33' Ndzinisa 45+3' Thwala 56'	Stadium: Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium Referee: Andre Kolissala Mbangui (Central African Republic)

Eswatini  v  Somalia

26 March 2025 AFCON qualification	Eswatini	2–2 (5–2 agg.)	Somalia	Mbombela, South Africa
	Ndzinisa 46' Matsebula 49'	Report	Awad 76', 84'	Stadium: Mbombela Stadium Referee: Joseph Odey Ogabor (Nigeria)
Note: Eswatini won 5–2 on aggregate.

Angola  v  Eswatini

7 June 2026 World Cup qualification	Angola	1–0	Eswatini	Luanda, Angola
20:00 UTC+1	Mabululu 2'	Report		Stadium: Estádio 11 de Novembro Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Hillary Hambaba (Zambia)

Mauritius  v  Eswatini

11 June 2026 World Cup qualification	Mauritius	2–1	Eswatini	Saint Pierre, Mauritius
17:00 UTC+4	Gaspard 19' Rose 45'	Report	Magagula 66'	Stadium: Côte d'Or National Sports Complex Attendance: 4,000 Referee: Mohamed Athoumani (Comoros)

Eswatini  v  Botswana

26 June 2024 COSAFA Cup	Eswatini	0–0	Botswana	Gqeberha, South Africa
15:00		Report		Stadium: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Mozambique  v  Eswatini

29 June 2024 COSAFA Cup	Mozambique	0–0	Eswatini	Gqeberha, South Africa
12:00		Report		Stadium: Isaac Wolfson Stadium

South Africa  v  Eswatini

2 July 2024 COSAFA Cup	South Africa	1–0	Eswatini	Gqeberha, South Africa
15:00	Sibanyoni 3'	Report		Stadium: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Guinea-Bissau  v  Eswatini

5 September 2025 AFCON qualifier	Guinea-Bissau	1–0	Eswatini	Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
16:00 UTC+0	Burá 14'	Report		Stadium: Estádio 24 de Setembro Referee: Raphiou Ligali (Benin)

Eswatini  v  Mali

10 September 2025 AFCON qualifier	Eswatini	0-1	Mali	Mbombela, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2		Report	Bissouma 7'	Stadium: Mbombela Stadium Attendance: 406 Referee: Jean-Claude Ishimwe (Rwanda)

Mozambique  v  Eswatini

11 October 2025 AFCON qualifier	Mozambique	1-1	Eswatini	Maputo, Mozambique
15:00 UTC+2	Ratifo 73'	Report	Mavuso 80'	Stadium: Estádio do Zimpeto Referee: Pierre Jean Nguiene (Congo)

Eswatini  v  Mozambique

14 October 2025 AFCON qualifier	Eswatini	0-3	Mozambique	Mbombela, South Africa
21:00 UTC+2		Report	Domingues 11' Ratifo 41' Catamo 59'	Stadium: Mbombela Stadium Referee: Ring Nyier (South Sudan)

Eswatini  v  Guinea-Bissau

15 November 2025 AFCON qualifier	Eswatini	1-1	Guinea-Bissau	Mbombela, South Africa
17:00 UTC+2	Mkhontfo 81' (pen.)		Mané 87'	Stadium: Mbombela Stadium

Mali  v  Eswatini

19 November 2025 AFCON qualifier	Mali	6–0	Eswatini	Bamako, Mali
15:00 UTC+0	Touré 7' Nene 17', 23', 76' Doumbia 42', 89'	Report		Stadium: Stade du 26 Mars Referee: Mohamed Ali Moussa (Niger)

2025

Eswatini  v  Cameroon

19 March 2026 World Cup qualification	Eswatini	0–0	Cameroon	Mbombela, South Africa
18:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Mbombela Stadium Attendance: 708 Referee: Lucky Kasalirwe (Uganda)

Eswatini  v  Mauritius

23 March 2026 World Cup qualification	Eswatini	3–3	Mauritius	Mbombela, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Mbombela Stadium

Cameroon  v  Eswatini

September 2026 World Cup qualification

Cameroon

v

Eswatini

Libya  v  Eswatini

September 2026 World Cup qualification

Libya

v

Eswatini

Eswatini  v  Angola

October 2026 World Cup qualification

Eswatini

v

Angola

Cape Verde  v  Eswatini

October 2026 World Cup qualification

Cape Verde

v

Eswatini

Coaches

Caretakers are listed in italics.

• Ted Dumitru (1983–85)
• Dumisa Mahlalela (1992–93)
• Scara Thindwa (1996)
• Jan Simulambo (1997)
• Francis Banda (1998–2000)
• Dumisa Mahlalela (2001–02)
• Mandla Dlamini (2003)
• Francis Banda (2003)
• Werner Bicklehaput (2003)
• Dumisa Mahlalela (2004)
• Francis Banda (2005)
• Jan Van Winckel (2006)
• Ayman El Yamani (2006–07)
• Martin Chabangu (2007)
• Raoul Savoy (2007–08)
• Ephraim Mashaba (2008–10)
• Musa Zwane (2010–11)
• Obed Mlotsa (2011)
• Caleb Ngwenya (2011–12)
• Valere Billen (2012–13)
• Harris Bulunga (2013–14)
• Harris Bulunga (2014–16)
• Anthony Mdluli (2017)
• Hendrik Pieter de Jongh (2017–18)
• Anthony Mdluli (2018)
• Kosta Papić (2018–19)
• Dominic Kunene (2020–22)
• Dominic Kunene (2023–24)
• Zdravko Logarušić (2024)
• Sifiso Ntibane (2024)

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2025 COSAFA Cup to be played 4–15 June 2025.^[5]

Caps and goals correct as of 9 June 2025, after the match against Madagascar

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Xolani Gama	(1999-10-20) 20 October 1999 (age 25)	11	0	Green Mamba
16	1GK	Bongiswa Dlamini	(2001-04-04) 4 April 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Mbabane Swallows
21	1GK	Khanyakwezwe Shabalala	(1993-09-23) 23 September 1993 (age 31)	5	0	Nsingizini Hotspurs
2	2DF	Siphephelo Newman Philiso	(2003-11-11) 11 November 2003 (age 21)	6	0	Mbabane Swallows
3	2DF	Kwakhe Thwala	(2002-04-04) 4 April 2002 (age 23)	38	1	Nsingizini Hotspurs
5	2DF	Thando Langa	(1999-12-25) 25 December 1999 (age 25)	2	0	Mbabane Highlanders
12	2DF	Gift Gamedze	(1999-09-07) 7 September 1999 (age 25)	9	0	Royal Leopard
22	2DF	Simanga Masangane	(1997-05-09) 9 May 1997 (age 28)	10	0	Royal Leopard
4	3MF	Neliswa Senzo Dlamini	(2002-12-28) 28 December 2002 (age 22)	34	0	Nsingizini Hotspurs
6	3MF	Innocent Dlamini	(1998-12-08) 8 December 1998 (age 26)	5	0	Young Buffaloes
7	3MF	Felix Badenhorst	(1989-06-15) 15 June 1989 (age 36)	47	15	Royal Leopard
9	3MF	Philani Mkhontfo	(1995-04-04) 4 April 1995 (age 30)	29	4	Manzini Sea Birds
10	3MF	Banele Sikhondze	(1993-06-28) 28 June 1993 (age 32)	12	0	Tabora United
11	3MF	Andy Junior Magagula	(1995-01-12) 12 January 1995 (age 30)	25	5	Royal Leopard
13	3MF	Mpendulo Lungelo Tfomo	(2000-03-17) 17 March 2000 (age 25)	3	0	Manzini Sea Birdsa
14	3MF	Mzwandile Mabelesa	(1993-04-21) 21 April 1993 (age 32)	41	0	Royal Leopard
23	3MF	Njabulo Ndlovu	(1994-12-29) 29 December 1994 (age 30)	37	1	Green Mamba
24	3MF	Mxolisi Mkhontfo	(1993-03-08) 8 March 1993 (age 32)	21	1	Jwaneng Galaxy
15	4FW	Mayibongwe Mabuza	(1993-08-20) 20 August 1993 (age 32)	2	1	Manzini Sea Birds
17	4FW	Justice Figuareido	(1998-07-28) 28 July 1998 (age 27)	22	1	Richards Bay
18	4FW	Sambulo Simelane	(2001-06-07) 7 June 2001 (age 24)	6	1	Nsingizini Hotspurs
20	4FW	Sabelo Ndzinisa	(1991-07-31) 31 July 1991 (age 34)	77	17	Green Mamba
19	4FW	Fanelo Mamba	(2001-10-29) 29 October 2001 (age 23)	46	6	Young Buffaloes
8	4FW	Siyabonga Mthokozisi Gwebu	(1994-06-30) 30 June 1994 (age 31)	8	0	Manzini Sea Birds

Recent call-ups

The following players were called up for Eswatini in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Mlamuli Makhanya	(1996-09-23) 23 September 1996 (age 28)	2	0	Royal Leopard	v.  Mauritius, 23 March 2025
GK	Mlungisi Nxumalo	(1997-12-16) 16 December 1997 (age 27)	1	0	Young Buffaloes	v.  Mauritius, 23 March 2025
GK	Mathabela Sandanzwe	(1989-09-09) 9 September 1989 (age 35)	40	0	Mbabane Swallows	v.  Mali; 10 September 2024
GK	Sibusiso Dlamini	(2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Nsingizini Hotspurs	2024 COSAFA Cup
GK	Siyabonga Magagula		0	0	Ezulwini United	2024 COSAFA Cup
GK	Ncamiso Dlamini	(1989-10-19) 19 October 1989 (age 35)	17	0	Royal Leopard	v.  Mauritius; 11 June 2024
DF	Lindo Mkhonta	(1991-04-10) 10 April 1991 (age 34)	48	1	ZESCO United	v.  Mauritius, 23 March 2025
DF	Bongi Magagula	(1999-05-20) 20 May 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Mbabane Swallows	v.  Mauritius, 23 March 2025
DF	Mxolisi Manana	(1994-01-31) 31 January 1994 (age 31)	15	0	Green Mamba	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
DF	Sibongakhonkhe Silenge	(2000-03-01) 1 March 2000 (age 25)	12	0	Green Mamba	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
DF	Sibonelo Sibandze	(1997-06-13) 13 June 1997 (age 28)	2	0	Young Buffaloes	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
DF	Vusi Vilakati	(2001-05-07) 7 May 2001 (age 24)	4	0	Mbabane Highlanders	v.  Mali; 10 September 2024
DF	Nkhosingiphile Shongwe	(2001-07-19) 19 July 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Nsingizini Hotspurs	v.  Mali; 10 September 2024
DF	Colani Dlamini	(1999-02-27) 27 February 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Green Mamba	2024 COSAFA Cup
DF	Siphosethu Mabilisa	(2000-09-19) 19 September 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Mbabane Swallows	2024 COSAFA Cup
DF	Nkosingiphile Silenge		0	0	Green Mamba	2024 COSAFA Cup
MF	Sifiso Matse	(1993-05-14) 14 May 1993 (age 32)	51	4	Royal Leopard	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
MF	Siboniso Ngwenya	(1994-05-03) 3 May 1994 (age 31)	20	2	Young Buffaloes	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
MF	Thubelihle Mavuso	(2001-10-06) 6 October 2001 (age 23)	7	0	Nsingizini Hotspurs	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
MF	Sisekelo Matsenjwa	(2002-11-23) 23 November 2002 (age 22)	5	0	Young Buffaloes	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
MF	Sizwe Gwebu		0	0		v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
MF	Leon Manyisa	(1999-06-03) 3 June 1999 (age 26)	9	0	Mbabane Swallows	2024 COSAFA Cup
MF	Bongiswa Dlamini	(2001-04-04) 4 April 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Young Buffaloes	2024 COSAFA Cup
MF	Mxolisi Mkhontfo	(1993-08-08) 8 August 1993 (age 32)	19	1	Green Mamba	v.  Mauritius; 11 June 2024
FW	Sandile Gamedze	(1994-12-03) 3 December 1994 (age 30)	42	8	Young Buffaloes	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
FW	Mthunzi Mkhontfo	(1993-12-28) 28 December 1993 (age 31)	33	3	Green Mamba	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
FW	Bongwa Matsebula	(1997-11-27) 27 November 1997 (age 27)	22	3	Young Buffaloes	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
FW	Njabulo Thwala	(1990-02-02) 2 February 1990 (age 35)	8	0	Green Mamba	v.  Mozambique, 14 October 2024
FW	Philane Thabo Mkhontfo	(1995-04-04) 4 April 1995 (age 30)	21	1	Mbabane Highlanders	v.  Mali; 10 September 2024
FW	Ayanda Gadlela	(1998-07-01) 1 July 1998 (age 27)	7	0	Mbabane Swallows	2024 COSAFA Cup
FW	Sizolwethu Shabalala	(1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 29)	7	0	Mbabane Swallows	2024 COSAFA Cup
FW	Sibonginkhosi Dlamini	(1990-11-21) 21 November 1990 (age 34)	0	0	Nsingizini Hotspurs	2024 COSAFA Cup
FW	Wandile Simelane	(1996-10-09) 9 October 1996 (age 28)	0	0	Moneni Pirates	2024 COSAFA Cup

Player records

As of 23 March 2025^[6]

Players in bold are still active with Eswatini.

Most appearances

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Sabelo Ndzinisa	76	17	2012–present
2	Tony Tsabedze	71	8	2003–2018
3	Sifiso Matse	58	5	2017–present
4	Mxolisi Mthethwa	52	3	1998–2010
5	Lindo Mkhonta	48	1	2018–present
	Wonder Nhleko	48	5	2001–2018
7	Felix Badenhorst	46	15	2008–present
	Fanelo Mamba	46	6	2018–present
9	Machawe Dlamini	44	1	2011–2019
	Sandile Gamedze	44	8	2018–present

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Sabelo Ndzinisa	17	76	0.22	2012–present
2	Felix Badenhorst	15	46	0.33	2008–present
3	Mfanzile Dlamini	9	35	0.26	1998–2009
	Siza Dlamini	9	39	0.23	1997–2010
5	Sandile Gamedze	8	44	0.18	2018–present
	Tony Tsabedze	8	71	0.11	2003–2018
7	Fanelo Mamba	6	46	0.13	2018–present
8	Wonder Nhleko	5	48	0.1	2001–2018
	Sifiso Matse	5	58	0.09	2017–present
10	Sidumo Shongwe	4	8	0.5	2011–2014
	Sandile Hlatjwako	4	15	0.27	2014–2017
	Junior Magagula	4	24	0.17	2019–present
	Philani Mkhontfo	4	28	0.14	2022–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1966	Part of United Kingdom									Part of United Kingdom
as  Swaziland
1970 to 1978	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1982 to 1990	Did not enter									Did not enter
1994	Did not qualify									3	1	1	1	1	5
1998										2	0	0	2	0	3
2002										2	0	0	2	1	8
2006										2	0	1	1	1	4
2010										4	1	1	2	2	8
2014										2	0	0	2	2	8
2018										4	2	1	1	8	3
as  Eswatini
2022	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	1	2
2026	To be determined									6	0	2	4	4	9
2030										To be determined
2034
Total	–	0/11	–	–	–	–	–	–		27	4	7	16	20	50

Africa Cup of Nations

Africa Cup of Nations record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1957 to 1968	Part of United Kingdom									Part of United Kingdom
1970 to 1976	Not affiliated to CAF									Not affiliated to CAF
1978	Did not enter									Did not enter
1980
1982
1984	Withdrew									Withdrew
1986	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	1	8
1988	Did not enter									Did not enter
1990	Did not qualify									4	0	3	1	3	5
1992										5	1	2	2	4	9
1994	Did not enter									Did not enter
1996	Withdrew									Withdrew
1998	Did not enter									Did not enter
2000	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	2	3
2002										2	1	0	1	3	5
2004										6	2	2	2	8	12
2006										2	0	1	1	1	4
2008										6	0	3	3	0	7
2010										4	1	1	2	2	8
2012										6	0	0	6	2	14
2013	Withdrew									Withdrew
2015	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	1	2
2017										6	2	2	2	6	9
2019										6	0	1	5	2	14
2021										4	0	1	3	1	9
2023										8	2	3	3	8	9
2025										8	1	3	4	7	15
2027	To be determined									To be determined
2029
Total	–	0/35	–	–	–	–	–	–		73	10	24	39	51	133

COSAFA Cup

Main article: COSAFA Cup

Year	COSAFA Cup record
	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1997	First round	1	0	0	1	0	1
1998	Quarter-finals	1	0	0	1	0	1
1999	Semi-finals	3	1	2	0	5	3
2000	Quarter-finals	1	0	0	1	0	2
2001	Quarter-finals	2	0	1	1	1	2
2002	Semi-finals	3	2	0	1	5	5
2003	Semi-finals	2	1	0	1	2	2
2004	Quarter-finals	1	0	0	1	0	5
2005	First round	1	0	0	1	0	3
2006	First round	2	1	0	1	2	1
2007	First round	2	1	1	0	1	0
2008	First round	3	1	2	0	3	2
2009	First round	3	2	0	1	5	2
2013	First round	3	0	1	2	0	4
2015	First round	3	2	1	0	4	1
2016	Third place	6	3	2	1	9	7
2017	Quarter-finals	2	0	0	2	1	3
2018	Quarter-finals	2	0	0	2	0	3
2019	First round	2	0	2	0	4	4
2020	Cancelled
2021	Third place[2]	6	2	3	1	8	6
2022	Quarter-finals	4	2	2	0	7	2
Total	21/21	53	18	17	18	57	59

Honours

Regional

• COSAFA Cup
  • Third place (2): 2016, 2021