Malanti Chiefs player ours, half renew contracts - ‘Beyond 2000’

MTN Premier League champions Mbabane Swallows have declared victory in the transfer battle for Malanti Chiefs midfielder Given Lukhele.

This is on top of half of the current squad signing new contracts with the ‘Beautiful Birds’ of Mbabane.

“We have seen media reports about our players said to be leaving but I can assure all our supporters that half of the team has signed new contracts and we’re still in talks with those who haven’t yet signed,” Swallows Governor Sandile ‘Beyond 2000’ Zwane said on Wednesday during the team’s season successes celebration at All Nations Church in Ezulwini.

Zwane was referring to an article by one of the local dailies that suggested seven of their players were on their way out. These include South African winger Tony ‘Ben 10’ Machacha, who was signed from Mbabane Highlanders at the start of the season.

He also clarified the social media claims that they were in yet another transfer battle with security forces teams, allegedly Green Mamba and Royal Leopard over former elite and National First Division League outfit Malanti Chiefs star midfielder Given Lukhele.

“We see the Facebook claims, but I can assure you now that Given is our player now. He signed with us for three years,” Zwane said. He said they would be unveiling him soon along with other new players as they aim to invade Africa in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, which starts in August. “We are still knocking here and there, but we are going to the CAF Champions League, and our father, Bishop Lukhele, has said this is the Swallows for Africa. I believe we fear no one in the SADC region, and we pray we start here then move on to the group stage where we last finished in 2018,” he said.

Lukhele’s representative in the braai, Sebenele Nhlengetfwa had already stated that Lukhele was happy with this team such that in one of the games he watched, he did say: “This was the Swallows he knows and this is the Swallows for Africa because he was excited with what he saw,”

Zwane and the club’s Management Committee (MC) Chairman Welile Mabuza further thanked their sponsors Eclipse, Upper Interiors and Aquille for being with them and also declaring they wanted to take their brands and that of Swallows beyond the country’s borders going forward.