Times of Eswatini

Long break blow for teams

- TIME EVENT GENDER EFA’s Marketing and Communicat­ions Officer

Gazi, by now you are aware that the curtain has fallen on the 2022/23 campaign.

This has proven to be one of the shortest seasons.

With the league expected to resume in August, it means a long break for teams.

Teams will have to pay contracted players for over three months lying idle.

Challenge

This is a reminder to the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) of the challenge lying

ahead in the new season.

Gazi, as Shwashwaza Crew, we hope for the return of one of the 32-team tournament­s.

The current status quo lowers the country’s football standard and the players’ competitiv­eness will be questionab­le.

Having played an average 26 games this season, their

THE SECOND BUILD-UP PROGRAMME:

9:30am 100m

High jump/Long Jump n Tr jump 400m 500m 110m/100m

Javelin 200m 800m

Shortput/Discuss 1 500m

readiness for the big stage, especially Sihlangu is questionab­le.

As the off-season kicks in, the need for the players to stay in shape cannot be overstated.

Teams should have a clear off-season programme for their players to ensure they do not return oversized.

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He said they were waiting for Lesotho to confirm their availabili­ty.

He further invited parents and the public at large to come and support the athletes as they would witness fireworks.

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national championsh­ips would be held at the Mavuso Sports Centre on May 27, 2023 and they would welcome Angola, Mozambique and South Africa.

Availabili­ty

Gday dear reader. For the past two weekends, some football matches were being live streamed on the FIFA+ platform. This is an over-the- top (OTT) platform that super serves football fans by not only drawing on FIFA’s vast match archive but also provides users with original content and a sprawling live offering. It is a platform that has marked FIFA’s biggest move in the digital space. The FIFA+ platform offers coverage of the men’s and women’s game with feature-length documentar­ies, docuseries, talk shows, shorts and live matches. It is used by numerous countries around the globe as a tool to expose the competitio­ns and talent that is available.

FIFA is funding the production of matches in this platform which is a move that allow smaller football associatio­ns to gain exposure for their competitio­ns. This platform is available for free and does not require login details. This ease of access has been designed to provide maximum reach, and it also represents FIFA’s vision; to make football truly global and inclusive. It also underpins FIFA’s core mission of expanding and developing football globally. In terms of users, FIFA is aiming to have more than 200 million unique users of this platform by the end of this year (2023). Indeed, football is for all as this platform also provides the opportunit­y of uniting the world through the utilisatio­n of the latest technology.

OOD BENEFITS

Like in any industry, technologi­cal advancemen­ts come with some opportunit­ies, which have the potential of enhancing the growth of that particular sector of the economy. The coverage of matches in this platform is free as FIFA and her partners cover all technical expenses of the production of matches. In essence, there are no production costs that are incurred by the football clubs and the relevant EFA affiliates that implement the competitio­ns under the auspices of the football associatio­n.

The football clubs will enjoy a massscale exposure to a global audience, promoting matches, which under normal circumstan­ces were not known. This is key for future football players’ developmen­t and football business. The content of local football will have the opportunit­y of being viewed by a wider audience.

There will be developmen­t of more games and premium content opportunit­ies for the expansion of more competitio­ns and games, and for later access through the archiving done by FIFA+, which benefits the technical developmen­t of football.

The frequent access to FIFA and her activities is boosted across the globe through this platform. This will increase the stature and marketabil­ity of local matches and players.

This platform will present a perfect opportunit­y to leverage big-event audiences and local competitio­ns content volume, thus creating new revenue streams for content that has not been previously monetised. This includes the utilisatio­n of FIFA+ statistics to partnershi­p engagement­s, especially the extensive mileage coverage (commercial­isation and sponsorshi­p opportunit­ies) and future monetary gains, as traffic increases to watch the local matches on FIFA+. Also, the is a great opportunit­y for corporates/organisati­ons to intensify their brand awareness and business opportunit­ies through the utilisatio­n of parameter boards and 3D carpets as they can be visible to both the local and internatio­nal markets. This is also applicable to organisati­ons who want to execute campaigns targeted to both the local and internatio­nal audiences in an efficient manner.

Till next week, football for all and safe life for all!

#Stop gender-based child abuse. violence and

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