BY SABELO GWEBU
SOCCER – The winner of the MTN Premier League E100 000 first-round incentives will be decided this weekend and mathematically, it is between Young Buffaloes and Green Mamba.
At 3:45 pm kick-off time, simultaneously, Buffaloes will play host to Seven Dreams at Nsukuwansuku Stadium while Green Mamba visits Tambuti at Mayaluka Stadium. Only a point separates the two sides with table-toppers Buffaloes yet to test defeat this 2022/2023 MTN Premier League campaign.
We give you reasons why it has ended in a two-horse race for the E100 000 first round ‘carrot’ and the reason we should look forward to an interesting second stanza of the campaign.
THE BUFFALOES EVOLUTION
After losing their grip two seasons ago, the army side went through an interesting evolution which saw more players from their development promoted to the senior team. First, it was Bongwa ‘Owa’ Matsebula and Kwakhe Thwala. The duo went on to be mainstay and key players at senior national team Sihlangu while some including Bandile ‘Skosh’ Shabangu, Mlungisi Nxumalo, and Bongiswa Dlamini were loaned to fellow elite league sides for game time and experience. This season, they were all recalled including Lizwe Dlamini to propel the side back to the top where they belong. Buffaloes did all this while keeping a pool of their experienced players and this is bound to be their season again.
GREEN MAMBA’S SIGNING SPREE
With what looked like a blank cheque, Green Mamba headed into last August transfer window for a shopping spree. The biggest and talk of the window was the signing of Sihlangu marksman Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa from Mbabane Highlanders. They also added Manzini Wanderers captain and left back Mthunzi ‘Chippa’ Motsa, the duo of goalkeepers Lindokuhle Manda and Xolani Gama from Black Swallows and Malanti Chiefs respectively. With all this talent adding to an already capable squad, Green Mamba were always going to be contenders.
NO PRE-SEASON FOR SWALLOWS
After dominating Eswatini football for over a decade, at the beginning of each season, Mbabane Swallows are always mentioned among the contenders for the league title. However, uncertainty reigned supreme for arguably the country’s most successful club since the turn of the New Millennium before the season began. Key players’ contracts were renewed late including starting pre-season preparations three weeks before the first game of the campaign. A string of bad results saw trainer Siyabonga Bhembe getting the axe recently and it will be interesting to see if the red and white glamour side can still mount a challenge for the title.
COACHES MERRY GO-ROUND AT HIGHLANDERS
Finishing as runners-up last season meant Mbabane Highlanders had the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup to play just before the season started. After falling to South Africa’s Royal AM, the expectation was that the ‘Black Bull’ will be a force to reckon with following that CAF football experience and proper season preparations. Coach Selaotse ‘Sly’ Mosala was shown the exit door with former head coach Dumisani ‘DU’ Makhanya reinstalled. However, Makhanya was fired recently with former South Africa national Under-20 and Black Leopards coach Solly Luvhengo unveiled by club boss Ally Kgomongwe. The ever revolving coaches’ door can only be Highlanders’ major undoing.
CAF FOOTBALL CRIPPLED LEOPARD
Heading to the last game of the first round, defending champions Royal Leopard are only searching for only their fifth win of the campaign. The reality is that the three years of non-stop CAF inter-club competitions action has caught up with the police side. Traveling the width and length of the continent will certainly deny coach Edwin Matsebula a historic third league title on the trot. The new signings including Senzelwe ‘Vardy’ Dlamini were not enough to refresh a squad that has been playing every third day for two consecutive seasons.
