Inyatsi’s E2 million for COSAFA
There are 12 countries that will be coming for the championships that will also serve as the CAF TOTALEnergies AFCON Under-20 Egypt 2023 qualifiers. COSAFA is the Council of Southern African Football Association.
Presenting the cheque to the Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga was Inyatsi Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Derrick Shiba yesterday at Malkerns Country Club. Shiba is also the Director of MTN Premier League new side Nsingizini Hotspurs.
The 12 countries who will participate in the tournament are namely, Eswatini (host), Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Malawi, Comoros, Angola, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia. Some of these countries is where Inyatsi Construction has a footprint and Shiba said as a company operating in nine African countries namely; Eswatini, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Uganda and Lesotho, they were delighted to be part of this epoch-making event.
“As Inyatsi Construction we are joining the football fraternity in putting our resources together in staging the 2022 COSAFA Under-20 Youth Championships in the beautiful Kingdom of Eswatini. Football is community-based and we see our involvement as an opportunity to empower the youth in the African continent because football, in particular is a popular sport,” he said.
He added that through this tournament they hoped to unearth the future Kalusha Bwayla’s, Benedict McCarthy’s, Jean-Mac Ithier’s, Lehlonoholo Seema’s, Tico Tico Bucuane’s, Siza ‘King Pele’ Dlamini’s, and Joseph Kamwendo’s, among others. These are players who shone brightly in yesteryears and some even went to play in Europe and put Africa as a whole on top of the international football map.
Mozambique will be looking to retain the title they won in 2020 and since there was no competition staged in 2021 due the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applauded
Meanwhile, Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bulunga applauded Inyatsi for the kind gesture. He said they were hopeful that the tournament would be a success and it would contribute greatly in football development.
Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane said Inyatsi was now COSAFA partner and by extension, the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Simelane was represented by EFA Executive Member Steve Horton.
“We salute and treasure your immense investment to the game of football, in particular the drive to aid the hosting of this forthcoming international football contest. We cannot forget the work, connection and servitude of Eswatini Mobile,” he said.