Leopard’s E810k costs for Mali trip
MBABANE – It is another costly adventure for the country’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup envoys, Royal Leopard.
Despite being in the red, the police ensemble will have to spend one more time and they hope for a win to get to the group stages. Leopard will have to pay over E800 000 and this amount covers mainly ticket costs.
This was revealed by the Team Manager Richard ‘Danka’ Fakudze, ahead of their trip to Mali to honour their second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup group stages playoff match. They will play AS Real Bamako in the second leg in Mali tomorrow at 6pm.
“We are going to be spending around E800 000 for the trip to Mali. It is sad that we have to book flights because we cannot pay upfront. Our plane will connect through Togo before flying back to Mali,” said Fakudze.
When asked if they had received the remaining balance of their winnings from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), he responded to the negative. The balance is around E2 million and it is prize money for reaching the group stages of the last edition.
“We have not heard anything from CAF nor EFA. We are still in the red and we are just praying that we win this game so that we advance to the group stages. We do hope after, then we can pay our debts and maybe cater for flights and travelling necessities,” he said.
He said this was going to be a do or die game, which they have to win by all means. The Edwin Matsebula-led charges were held to a 1-all draw at
Somhlolo National Stadium. Junior Magagula scored the equaliser in the 90th minute to save Ingwe Mabalabala from the jaws of defeat while also keeping them in the hunt for a E5 million bounty for reaching the stages.