Times Of Swaziland: FIVE WAYS FOOTBALL CAN FIGHT COVID-19 FIVE WAYS FOOTBALL CAN FIGHT COVID-19 ================================================================================ BY SPORTS REPORTER on 17/04/2020 00:33:00 Dr Zweli Mkhize has told us that the only way to win against this virus is to work together. Everybody has a role to play. Right now in this lockdown period, we are all playing a role. A majority of you, follow the beautiful game and you know that attacking without a proper constructed defence has disastrous consequences. By staying at home you have taken a much needed defensive position the nation requires at this stage of the game because you are not moving, the virus is not moving. We, at Orlando Pirates, understand our leadership role in our sector and economy at large. We have achieved even more when we engage with another market leader, Kaizer Chiefs.” These immortal words were uttered by the all-too-powerful Orlando Pirates boss, Dr Irvin Khoza in a live broadcasted announcement of the joint COVID-19 partnership between Multichoice and the two Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs on pay-per-view channel, Supersport on Wednesday evening. The Soweto giants have teamed up with Multichoice to donate personal protective equipment to the National Health Laboratory Services – a package which includes gloves, masks and goggles. The kind gesture is ground-breaking and unprecedented from a football point of view. What have our teams done in the fight against COVID-19? “They don’t have enough resources!” the apologists would probably hit back. Well and good but then, what have the two organisations running football in this country, the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) and the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) done since closing down their offices and suspending the football season? Nothing. Zilch. Fokol. Nada. Therein lies the rub. We are in the middle of a biological war-fare here. His Majesty King Mswati III’s government is doing its damndest to educate, mobilise resources to fight this invisible enemy that has turned the whole world upside down, literally and figuratively speaking. Then football, the biggest sport in the country, like the proverbial ostrich, has buried its head in the sand hoping to dodge the bullet. It can’t be. It is not acceptable. Sports Editor, LWAZI DLAMINI, throws the challenge to the PLE and EFA to do the honourable thing in the fight against COVID-19 and lists some of the things they can do to play a meaningful role too. SPREAD MESSAGES THROUGH WEBSITES, OTHER MEDIUMS Spreading the same government message of taking precautionary measures in the available platforms associated with football would be a great start to be seen to be doing something by both organisations. They both have websites and can reach more people through newspapers, radio, television through using the national team players or the top premier league team players to pass on the precautionary measures message. Raising public awareness and encouraging everyone to stay at home and observe strict guidelines of personal hygiene, to minimise the risk of getting infected won’t cost the two organisations an arm and a leg. MAKE A DONATION TO NRMC No one is saying both organisations have millions of Emalangeni lying idle but what would cost the two to put a combined E100 000 donation to government’s COVID-19 National Resource Mobilisation Committee (NRMC). This is an important national exercise aimed at helping all members of society including those who support football, which is the core business of both organisations. His Majesty King Mswati III and his government have shown tremendous financial will to support football at all times, what would hurt football to return the favour at such a critical period of our lives at the height of this human tragedy? Just yesterday, the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) donated 12.5 tonnes of rice to the National COVID-19 Task Force in Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s Land. Come on, ‘Bomber’ and ‘Touch’, you can do better than this! TAP INTO FIFA’S EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND The world football governing body, FIFA, has set up an Emergency Relief Fund to support football during and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The priorities of the Emergency Relief Fund is to help all 211-member associations of which Eswatini is one. The EFA should be leading the way in soliciting this kind of funding to assist its affiliates who have been affected by the deadly virus, forcing the suspension of all football activities. The EFA cannot fold arms and not tap into such available funds. PLAN AHEAD ON HOW 2019/2020 SEASON WILL END After the Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini announced another three-week extension on the lockdown on Wednesday, it is high time the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) comes up with a plan and assurances of how they intend to ensure the football season will pen out when action resumes, whenever it will. Yes, the season is suspended until May 20, but the three-week extension will certainly take us to the first week of May. What will happen in the event there is another lockdown extension, say for three weeks? The member affiliates of the PLE (the teams) deserve to know. This is where the chairman Peter ‘Touch’ Magagula and his Executive Committee need to show their hand in leadership. We are not asking for too much, are we? UTILISE FESTIVE PERIOD TO EASE PRESSURE God willing, perhaps normality will return to our lives and the novel coronavirus pandemic would be defeated by September, then it will be prudent for the football authorities to use the festive period to stage games to catch up for the lost time. These are the issues the silk suited souls at Sigwaca House should be mulling about, not burying their heads in the sand.