Give me top four, cup – Ally’s wife to Pirates
MBABANE – Revealed. After exclusively reporting that Moneni Pirates were bound to tie down a South African director last month, a businesswoman married to Mbabane Highlanders Managing Director (MD) Chief Ally Kgomongwe, yesterday was introduced to the nation. Her name is Alinah Kebeilwe and she knows what she wants from the club. While this publication could not get her for immediate comment, her team did share her message with us clearly, which is to achieve like her husband achieved the Eswatini Telecom Charity Cup in his first year in charge in 2019.
She comes in after a long search to replace former director in local businessman December Mavimbela, who left them a few years ago. The ‘Sea Robbers’of Moneni had also thought the search was over two seasons ago when they unveiled Zimbabwean Nqobizitha Mlilo but he did not last three months in the team, which saw the search continue until just recently when they connected with Kgomongwe’s wife, who has already given them a boost financially.
At least E100 000 from her was published by our sister publication, the Eswatini News in September as the team worked on its CAF Club Licensing requirements to get registration but also owed a foreign player who took them to the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA). The latter ordered the club to pay the player E78 000, which they did through her.
Pirates Manager, Twoman Masuku excitedly revealed that they were now under the leadership of a new director, whom he referred to as ‘Make More’. “Yes, it’s true that we have a new director from Pretoria, South Africa and she has already met with the management as well as the players a few weeks ago in that country,” Masuku revealed.
CONTRACT
He disclosed that Kebeilwe would be with the ‘Sea Robbers’ for a long time as she signed a long-term contract with them. “I can boldly say that our director recently signed a long-term contract with us and she has mandated us to finish on the top four bracket in the league and also win at least one knockout cup this season,” he said.
Masuku also said the director was not new at Pirates as they met her in 2017, where she fell in love with the team. “Ever since we met her in 2017 she has been following the progress of the team and when we came knocking for her assistance she didn’t hesitate but took the offer,” he said.
The manager said the new director was happy about the current crop of players and their performance so far in the season. Masuku said the director promised that the welfare of the players would be of utmost importance and also expected to beef up the squad if need be in the next transfer window.
He further said that the director encouraged the supporters to give her and the team their support. He said the directors assured that good things were coming for the ‘Sea Robbers’. He also added that the director promised to be in the country this coming weekend to watch the team in the MTN Premier League match against Mbabane Swallows.
It is worth mentioning that the team, through the Simunye Group (We are one) chaired by Kgomongwe, was searching for a new director for Pirates. The Simunye Group consists of Highlanders, Mbabane Swallows, Moneni Pirates and Tambankulu Callies.
Kgomongwe also recently confirmed that Pirates had convinced his wife to be their director which meant competition between them in as far as football in the country was concerned. Pirates beat Highlanders last month 1-0 in the league after their camp in Pretoria where they met their new director.