Deficiencies with promotion, relegation

MOnce bitten

BABANE – twice shy!

This adage rings true for the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), who would be caught between a rock and a hard surface had it not exercised extra caution with the approved MTN National First Division (NFD) rules. These rules were set to kick off the 2022/2023 lower division league on October 29-30, but PLE had to postpone it by a week after it discovered deficiencies within them. Rules and regulations are compiled by PLE and recommended by Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Competitions Committee (CC) before they are approved by the custodian football in the country, EFA.

A ‘copy and paste’ of Article 14 guiding the league positions, relegation and promotion of clubs in both divisions resulted to these deficiencies which saw both divisions guided by the same regulations in this chapter. “The two clubs that have the least number of points on completion of the league and, or positioned 13th and 14th in the final log standing shall be relegated from the PLE Division to the National First Division League. In determining the clubs to be relegated, the format provided in Article 14 herein shall be used,” read both premier league and NFD Article 14(7) of the 2022/2023 season.

This meant that the two teams that are usually promoted to top flight league were not going to be promoted, while relegation into regional league was reduced from six to two. Already, PLE has a pending case in the High Court with its judgement reserved after two teams challenged it over their relegation. Rangers and Milling Hot Spurs are opposing the former for using two sets of rules for the premier league last season. The first two games are said to have been played under a set of rules which said only two teams were to be axed which were later amended to four teams. Had the rules not been amended, the duo could have survived relegation.

With the NFD already gone four weeks into the season, the two top league finishers will gain promotion to premier league while the four bottom logged ones will be relegated to regional football leagues. The amended rules which saw the league kick off on November 5, 2022 through Article 14(8) which was added also confirms this. Noteworthy is that the approved rules also do not contain glaring mistakes as some parts that only fit in the top flight league were removed. Some of these among others were the Confederation of African Football (CAF) participation as well as the prize breakdown.