Times Of Swaziland: BIG DERBY DILEMMA

BIG DERBY DILEMMA
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Melusi Mkhabela on 30/10/2024 13:56:00


MBABANE – Anticipation is brewing, as football fans eagerly await Eswatini’s
mother of all derbies.
While the Week 7 complete fixture is yet to be released, the clash is likely to
take place on November 9 at Mavuso Sports Centre. Premier League of Eswatini
(PLE) Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Petros ‘Pat’ Vilakati confirmed
the venue during the Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS)
Sportshow with host Siphesihle ‘Sihlabani’ Nxumalo, two days ago.
“It is no secret that the country does not have adequate playing venues.
Nevertheless, such a game cannot be played on open ground. We keep our fingers
crossed that Mavuso will be available for this fixture,” he said. In contrast,
the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) break is set to
start from November 11 to 15. The dates suggest that Sihlangu will have already
left the kingdom for their games, where they will continue with their
TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers. They will host
Guinea-Bissau and then visit Mali days later. Sihlangu currently occupy the last
spot in their Group I standings in this tournament, with only one point after
four games played.
Massive
Head Coach Zdravko Logarusic is still to announce his squad for the tournament.
However, if he opts to call up some players from both giants, this will have an
effect on this massive fixture. The Croatian gaffer earlier expressed his
concern about his players having to compete in numerous games within a short
span. He further stated that this leaves his troops fatigued, while still
needing to compete. Logarusic has requested that the national team be given
priority when they have to play. Swallows won 3-2 in their last Premier League
clash with Highlanders, which took place on May 5, this year. Umkhonto KaShaka
are in form, securing five wins and suffering one defeat in their current league
defending campaign. Nevertheless, Inkunz’emnyama, as Highlanders are
affectionately known, had a rocky start to the season.
They are just one spot above the relegation zone, with four points after
suffering three losses. The side will visit Young Buffaloes at Mkhuzweni
Technical Centre for their sixth game, next Wednesday. The game was rescheduled
as Buffaloes have many of their players selected for Sihlangu. With Somhlolo
still not meeting the strict requirements set by the Confederation of African
Football (CAF), Sihlangu will once again play their home match away. The game is
set for Mbombela Stadium at 6pm. Vilakati stated that they are still to confirm
when Sihlangu will play their games before making a decision regarding league
fixtures. “We are aware that the FIFA break will start on November 11.
However, we still need to confirm when Sihlangu will play their games.
Thereafter, we will align ourselves with those dates regarding the league.”