Ally decries player favouritism by coach
MBABANE – Chief Ally Kgomongwe, the Managing Director of the capital city giants Mbabane Highlanders, expressed his disappointment in the team’s performance during the Ingwenyama Cup semi-finals.
The South African businessman and politician attributed the poor results to alleged favouritism displayed by Highlanders’ Head Coach, Dumisani ‘DU’ Makhanya. In full view of a large crowd, Mbabane Swallows humiliated Highlanders with a 3-0 defeat.
Dysfunctional
“While I was away, I initially thought the team was performing well, only to discover a dysfunctional environment. Due to my commitments with the African National Congress (ANC) elections, I did not have enough time to oversee the team. What is more frustrating is the issue of player favouritism demonstrated by the coach. This undermines the team, instead of making it stronger and united,” expressed Kgomongwe.
“The results are truly disappointing, and it is painful to see my efforts to financially support the team go to waste due to such poor performance,” he added.
Kgomongwe emphasised the need for a discussion to address these challenges and focus on the upcoming league matches, stating: “We cannot tolerate such issues within the club. Moving forward, we must find solutions.”
Incentives
Unfortunately, Inkunzi emnyama, not only missed out on reaching the finals, but also lost the opportunity for promised incentives if they had won against their rival Swallows. This revelation was shared by the South Africa-born director a day before the derby, where he also mentioned that they were offered free accommodation by his business associates in South Africa, as part of his birthday celebration today.
Meanwhile, Dumisani Dlamini, the Accident Prevention and Public Education Manager of the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (SMVAF) and the benefactor of the Ingwenyama Cup competition, expressed satisfaction with the supporters’ response during the games. Dlamini also emphasised the importance of accident prevention and educating the public about the claims process.
Pleased
“As SMVAF, we are pleased with the level of football displayed by the different teams. It was an exciting weekend, with tough games, where every team fought to progress to the finals. We urge the public to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol to prevent regrettable accidents. Additionally, we want to inform the nation that if an accident occurs, SMVAF prioritises providing necessary treatment before considering financial compensation,” stated Dlamini.