Ex-Glenwood captain Alakhe Mdluli in Eswatini’s Cosafa squad
Alakhe Mdluli, nicknamed “Smiley” during his time at Glenwood High School, is a Liswati footballer who plays both as a midfielder and a forward.
He represents the Eswatini National Football Team and plays for the AmaZulu in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC).
Mdluli was first introduced to the SuperSport Schools and SuperSport Schools Plus through his outstanding performances and leadership of the Green Machine.
In 2024, he captained coach Khaya Mngwengwe’s side to a second consecutive KZN Coastal A-League title, beating Westville Boys’ High 1-0 in the final.
He was also a member of the Glenwood team that secured the league title in 2023, and he excelled at the Primo Big 10 in 2024, where Glenwood High defeated Durban High School (DHS) 1-0 in the final, to do the double.
Following his departure from Glenwood, Mdluli has turned out for AmaZulu’s DDC team, making his debut for against the Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates last year at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, KZN.
Mdluli’s international football career is also progressing. He has represented Eswatini at both the u17 and u20 levels and was part of the kingdom’s team that contested the u20 Cosafa tournament in Mozambique late last year.
During that competition, he scored two goals and provided an assist in Eswatini’s opening match, a 5-4 win over the host nation, Mozambique, which earned him the Man of the Match award.
Despite that early success, Eswatini didn’t progress beyond the group stages. Ultimately, the title went to South Africa, who subsequently won the u20 Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 defeat of Morocco in the final, in Egypt, in May.
A further step up the ladder beckons for Mdluli – a moment his father, Siboniso Mdluli, characterised as graceful – with his selection for the senior Eswatini national team, known as Sihlangu SeMnikati, for the first time during the ongoing 2025 Cosafa Cup, which is being played in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
After the selection, Mdluli, told the Eswatini National Football media team that he is eagerly anticipating the side’s opening match against Madagascar on Monday, 9 June, at Seisa Ramabodu Stadium.
“Given the opportunity, I will do my best. With the presence of the experienced players, I have learned a lot. My main objective for now is to get game time in the national team,” the player said.
Madagascar heads into the match having beaten Tanzania in their opening match. It will be Eswatini’s first outing of the championship.
Khaya Mgwengwe, Mdluli’s former coach at Glenwood, said he will be following his former captain’s progress in the Cosafa tournament closely.
He said he hoped Mdluli would be given an opportunity to play, not only on Monday but throughout the Cosafa tournament. That would represent another important milestone in the former Glenwood skipper’s football career.
