Logarusic blames Eswatini national team struggles on policemen, teachers and soldiers in squad
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 07.09.25. | 12:58
For the tactician, however, the elimination reflects the structural challenges his side faces rather than a lack of commitment from the players
Eswatini head coach Zdravko Logarusic has said his team cannot compete at international level because most of his players are not full-time professionals.
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After watching his side lose 3-0 to Cameroon in Yaoundé on Thursday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the Croatian tactician was clear about the gulf in professionalism between the two squads.
“We only have one professional footballer,” Logarusic said. “The rest are policemen, teachers and soldiers who play the game part-time. When you face a team like Cameroon with such a squad, it is very difficult.”
The minnows were dealt an early setback when defender Gift Gamedze turned Bryan Mbeumo’s shot into his own net just six minutes in, handing the hosts the advantage. Cameroon quickly built on that momentum, with Georges-Kévin Nkoudou doubling the lead in the 25th minute before Arthur Avom put the result beyond doubt five minutes later.
The coach explained that preparation is where the biggest difference lies. “For the first 10 to 15 minutes we did not tackle properly, and they scored goals,” he said. “Later in the first half, we started to realise that and made some changes.”
Logarusic added that at halftime his instructions were simple. “I told the players to forget about the first half and try to play a draw with Cameroon in the second,” he said.
He also acknowledged the opposition coach for reducing the tempo after the break. “I thank Marc Brys for slowing down the rhythm in the second half, as we started to play a bit,” he noted.
Eswatini, who are already out of contention in the qualifiers, sit bottom of Group D with only two points from seven matches. Cape Verde lead the pool with 16 points, followed closely by Cameroon on 15.
For Logarusic, however, the elimination reflects the structural challenges his side faces rather than a lack of commitment from the players.
“If your squad trains two or three times a week after work, while the other team trains every day at a professional level, the outcome is clear,” he said.
The coach, who has previously managed Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and Kenya Police FC, stressed that without a larger pool of professionals, competing against Africa’s leading football nations will remain a struggle.
“Until Eswatini has more professional footballers, it will always be very difficult to compete,” he concluded.
