E100k 1st round ‘carrot’ chase takes shape
LOBAMBA – After week four, in the 2022/23 MTN Premier League, the race to the E100 000 first round incentive is slowly taking shape.
It is early days, but Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Sea Birds have maintained their unbeaten run to show serious intention of challenging for first round honours. In the four games played in the past weekend, at least seven goals were scored. Below are some of the highlights from round four of the league.
REF COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Almost after a season without the referee communication system, the Sports Desk has noted some referees using these gadgets. This is a welcomed change, considering that we are moving forward, we should be having these as a country. In fact it should be mandatory in a bid to professionalise the game. Back in 2017, the referees had been gifted these devices but they eventually vanished into thin air.
SDUMO BORN TO ENTERTAIN
Manzini Wanderers super fan Sidumo Ngwenya, supports every game even if his favourite side is not in action. That is a true football supporter. This past Sunday he was spotted watching the double-header featuring Mbabane Highlanders, Denver Sundowns and Mbabane Swallows and Green Mamba. Sdumo does not only come to support the games but those around him fail to maintain straight faces in excitement. If he is not singing and dancing with some fans, he is entertaining the crowd. On Sunday, we spotted him mimicking a doctor. He was seen ‘treating this fan’, putting a pipe inside his mouth to make it look like a drip. This moved attention from the pitch to Sidumo. It was funny as he ‘treated’, the fan and later the fan was witnessed to have recovered as they walked out of the stands during half-time.
SUPERSPORT CAMERAS USED
After the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) clinched a deal with South Africa’s pay-per-view channel SuperSport for the broadcast of magazine programme which premiered this past Friday, cameramen from the giant boradcaster hit the ground running. They were spotted at Somhlolo National
Stadium taking some footage of the double-header. This is the beginning of great things to come for Eswatini football.
TEAMS SHELTER DAMAGED
On September 11, 2022, we witnessed the first international game, pitting Mbabane Highlanders against South Africa’s Royal AM. We were impressed by the new look of Somhlolo National Stadium changes. The dressing rooms, the technical area and the pitch as well as the synthetic track were upgraded. What a beauty, it looked like it was some other venue. Worth noting is that the country’s soccer Mecca even impressed the visitors (Royal AM) as they took to Instagram to complement the upgrade. Fast forward to late October, Somhlolo is starting to look peeled off again. The technical area is already damaged as it does not have shelter anymore.
BIRDS BRING THEIR ‘A’ GAME’
Mbabane Swallows fans were seen carrying vegetables to mock Green Mamba during their MTN Premier League game at Somhlolo National Stadium on Sunday. They associated this to Green Mamba, as they are from the Correctional, which is known for producing vegetables.
BALL BOYS IN COSAFA KIT
Mbabane Highlanders ball boys were spotted wearing black COSAFA-branded bibs during their game against Denver Sundowns on Sunday at Somhlolo National Stadium. This kit was used by ball boys during the recently ended 2022 COSAFA Under-20 Championship, held in the country.
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COACH OF THE WEEK
Musa Manyatsi (M. Swallows): He orchestrated the win against a star-studded Green Mamba, who were fresh from beating defending champions Royal Leopard 2-0. His charges won by the same margin, courtesy of Bashir Mutamba and Felix Badenhorst’s goals.
STAR PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Felix Badenhorst (M. Swallows): The former national team Sihlangu and AS Vita forward bagged Swallows’first points as he assisted in the first goal scored by Bashir before scoring the second.
TEAM OF THE WEEK:
Lwethu Simelane (D. Sundowns) Ndumiso Mabuza (M. Highlanders) Mthunzi Motsa (G. Mamba) Ndumiso Ndaba (Sea Birds) Jimoh Moses (D. Sundowns) Banele ‘Pupu’ Sikhondze (M. Swallows) Collen Tembe (T. Callies) Mthunzi Mkhontfo (G. Mamba) Bashir Mutanda (M. Swallows) Muzi Tsabedze (Sea Birds)
Kenneth Moloto (M. Highlanders)