Sihlangu in historic Euro date with Malta

MBABANE – Historic!

This comes after Malta invited the local senior men’s national team, Sihlangu, to a cross-continental friendly match. This will mark the first time ever that Eswatini plays an international friendly game against a European-based nation.

This was confirmed in a post on the Malta Football Association (MFA) official Facebook page, which stated that the Malta men’s national team will face Eswatini in an international friendly. The MFA revealed that the match will be played on 12 November 2026 at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium, with kick-off set for 6:30 pm.

The international friendly comes as Malta prepare for their final UEFA Nations League (League D1) fixture against Gibraltar on Monday 16 November. Malta currently sit top of Group D1 with seven points from three matches, leaving them in pole position ahead of Gibraltar on two points and Andorra on one point. The match will allow the Maltese side to test squad depth and build match sharpness before concluding their competitive European campaign.

The fixture comes at a time when the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) is yet to appoint a substantive head coach for the inactive squad, over a year following the departure of former Croatian Coach Zdravko ‘Loga’ Logarusic in September last year.

The national team of Malta, affectionately known as the Knights of St. John or The Falcons in football circles, is governed by the Malta Football Association, which was founded in 1900 and affiliated with FIFA in 1959 and UEFA in 1960.

The team is currently led by Italian tactician Emilio De Leo, who oversees technical direction for the national setup. They play their home fixtures at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium in Ta’ Qali, which regularly hosts the team’s European qualifiers and international friendlies.

The fixture was also confirmed by the Times of Malta Sports Desk, which reported that the MFA verified on Wednesday that the encounter will take place at the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 pm.

The match will provide De Leo with an opportunity to assess his squad before Malta travel to Gibraltar on 16 November for their final League D1 encounter. Malta currently lead the group with seven points from three matches, having secured victories over Andorra (2-1 away and 1-0 at home) and drawn 1-1 against Gibraltar. The national team also defeated Liechtenstein 2-0 in September, extending their unbeaten run to four matches and climbing to 160th in the latest FIFA world rankings. Victory against Gibraltar would guarantee Malta top spot and promotion to League C.

Eswatini national team players ahead of a match. Reports suggest that they will play against Malta. (Pic: Times of Eswatini)

Meanwhile, Eswatini, ranked 164th in the world, will arrive in Malta looking to improve on their recent international performances.

When contacted for comment, EFA Marketing and Communications Manager Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe said he was yet to get an official statement from Chief Executive Officer Frederick Mngomezulu by the time this report was compiled.

“I saw that we will play a friendly with Malta from their Facebook page,” Radebe said.

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