June 18, (THEWILL) – Togo emerged victorious with a 2-0 triumph over Eswatini in their recent TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group B encounter held at South Africa’s Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.
The Sparrow Hawks’ success has significantly bolstered their aspirations of qualifying for the AFCON tournament. Togo made their mark just 14 minutes into the game, as Ahoueke Denkey skillfully found the back of the net, leaving Eswatini goalkeeper Ncamiso Dlamini unable to prevent the Sparrow Hawks from taking a 1-0 lead.
Although Sihlangu Semnikati launched multiple attacking manoeuvres in an attempt to equalise, the defensive prowess of Togo, commanded by Djene Dakonam from Getafe CF, held firm, allowing the visitors to maintain their advantage at halftime. As the hosts sought ways to breach the Sparrow Hawks’ defence and create scoring opportunities, coach Dominic Kunene introduced Bongwa Matsebula in the 57th minute.
In the dying moments of the match, Togo secured their victory with a second goal. Euloge Placca, hailing from Shakhtyor Soligorsk, took advantage of a chance in stoppage time, with Ihlas Bebou providing the assist. Once again, the defensive vulnerabilities of Sihlangu Semnikati were exposed, sealing the final scoreline at 2-0 in favour of Togo.
In their final Group B match scheduled for September this year, the West African team will confront Cape Verde on home turf. Meanwhile, Sihlangu Semnikati, currently sitting in fourth place in Group B standings, bid farewell to their dreams of advancing to the finals. In their last match of the qualification phase, they will face Burkina Faso away from home in September.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
