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(continued from Back Page) The EFA wants this to stop as per CAF’s instructions. EFA has since issued Circular No. 183 which mainly announces the first registration window period to be starting on August 8 until October 21, this year. However, it also provides that in any other circumstances, the final date for registration outside the official window is November 11, that caters for status committee cases among other things.
The second window starts on January 16, 2023 to February 10, 2023 with the latest being March 3, 2023 for exceptional circumstances or special cases. It also then puts out the licensing challenge some teams may face ahead of the new season.
Regulations
“No club at Premier League and National First Division League therefore, will be allowed to register to play in the 2022/2023 football season without having complied with the club licencing regulations,” part of the Circular read thus. It is also states that teams were expected to have registered or affiliated by the first official match and they are electronically registered through the FIFA/EFA electronic system.
Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Makhanya also affirmed the Circular and acknowledged it, but was caught at a busy moment as he could not give much information.
However, EFA Communications and Marketing Officer Muzi Radebe had recently spoken and written about these requirements aimed at professionalising football. Even stadiums were expected to meet certain international standards. Eswatini currently has no complying stadium to host Category A international matches.
Meanwhile, the Circular also noted that the 2022/2023 football season would be starting next month for national level while regional football is billed for mid-October. Regional Super Leagues are expected to have concluded their activities by the end of this month so to give teams that will be promoted into first division a chance to prepare.