Times Of Swaziland: IT’S ‘BULL’ VS ‘BUFFS’ FINAL

IT’S ‘BULL’ VS ‘BUFFS’ FINAL
================================================================================
BY LWAZI DLAMINI on 04/02/2019 00:18:00


Sports Editor
(At Somhlolo National Stadium)
LOBAMBA – It’s the unlikeliest cup final ever in the Ingwenyama Cup
chequered four-year history!
As records tumbled like a deck of cards yesterday in-front of an impressive over
10 000 strong crowd, Mbabane Highlanders will cross swords with Ingwenyama Cup
2017 losing finalist, Young Buffaloes next month in a Cup final not even the
best sangomas in the business would have predicted.
‘Inkunzemnyama’ brushed aside a listless Malanti Chiefs 2-0 in the first
semi-final to reach their first Cup final of the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle
Accident Fund (SMVAF) richly-sponsored tournament in its four-year glorious
history. Then Young Buffaloes, still hurting like an unsealing gashing wound
after losing controversially the February 5, 2017 final to Mbabane Swallows,
finally got their sweet revenge as they pummelled the sickle-as-parrot
‘Birds’ 2-0 in astonishing fashion here yesterday.
Painful memories of the goal-line clearance by former Swallows Congolese
midfielder, Papy Kapamba in the closing stages of the 2017 Cup final which
screamed for the introduction of FIFA’s famed goal-line technology left
Buffaloes players tearing their hair in frustration as the referee Mbongiseni
Fakudze waved play on.
Yesterday, while the self-same Fakudze was the centre-referee the frustration of
February 5, 2017 were replaced by bouts of ecstasy and merriment from the army
side players and fans as celebrations that threatened to raise the dead at the
nearby Mdzimba Mountain enveloped the iconic venue. The overjoyed fans of
Swallows bitter-rivals, Highlanders, who had already penned their name in the
final, loved every minute of it!
history
As far as records are concerned, the Highlanders versus Buffaloes Cup final will
be the first meeting between the two sides in history and most remarkably, after
three years since inception, the tournament’s Patron, His Majesty King Mswati
III will certainly crown new champions of the richest tournament in the land on
a date yet to be confirmed.
A princely first prize cheque of E1.3 million will be at stake while the losing
finalist will take home E510 000.
Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga,
Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development David ‘Cruiser’
Ngcamphalala were joined by Prince Masitsela, Prince Majaha, SMVAF Chief
Executive Officer Helmon Vilakati, football head honcho, Adam ‘Bomber’
Mthethwa, Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman, Peter ‘Touch’ Magagula,
Sihlangu new mentor, Kostadin Papic in the Royal Box to be witnesses to a
memorable day of football at the country’s soccer Mecca.
At the end of the day’s festivities, as if bowing to the impending coronation
of a new Ingwenyama Cup Champion, the heavens opened up as incessant rain poured
to the venue, taking away hopes of a big Mbabane derby final and giving birth to
the unlikeliest Cup final in the tournament’s four-year chequered history.