Times Of Swaziland: KYRO AGENCY AIMS TO BOOST PLAYER EXPORTS

KYRO AGENCY AIMS TO BOOST PLAYER EXPORTS
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Machawe Fakudze on 12/12/2024 14:23:00


MBABANE – A new era is upon local football.
This follows the official launch of the KYRO Sports Agency at the Hilton Garden
Inn, just two days ago. The event drew notable attendees, including Darius
Dlomo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Eswatini Sports and Recreation
Council (ESRC), Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe, Marketing and Communications Officer of
the Eswatini Football Association (EFA), Pat Vilakati, Acting CEO of the Premier
League of Eswatini (PLE), along with Acting Football Manager Banele Masondo and
representatives from various teams.
During the proceedings, KYRO Director Mhlonishwa Shiba expressed disappointment
that former Ajax Cape Town player Mkhanyiseni Siwahla could not attend the
launch as anticipated. Shiba articulated his concerns regarding the insufficient
presence of Eswatini players in professional leagues. “It pains me that the
country has only one player, Justice ‘Figa’ Figueirado, currently active in
the lucrative Betway Premiership in South Africa,” he stated. While
acknowledging that players such as Mxolisi ‘Kudus’ Mkhonto (Botswana), Lindo
Mkhonta (Zambia) and Banele ‘Stiga’ Ndzabandza (Botswana) have been
exported, he stressed that more effort is essential.
Assist
“Our primary objective is to assist our players in making wise investments
when they receive offers from abroad,” Shiba asserted. He highlighted the
necessity of shifting local players’ focus away from solely aspiring to join
security forces teams. “If a player is not nurtured properly, they are
unlikely to reach their full potential in the sport. That is why our target
market extends beyond our borders, reaching into Europe,” Shiba elaborated. He
further revealed that the academy has established a Memorandum of Understanding
with South African teams aimed at player development and has already identified
several promising individuals.
“We urge teams to actively engage in this initiative as we strive to elevate
the standards of football in the country. We also request the PLE to reconsider
the establishment of a development league,” he added.Meanwhile, EFA President
Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane, represented by Radebe, conveyed his support for the
programme. “We support all stakeholders who are actively involved in
developing football in Eswatini,” Radebe affirmed. Sifiso Shabalala, Chairman
of the Parliament Sports Portfolio Committee, described the launch as a dream
come true.
effective
“We have been diligently seeking effective ways to utilise the players
identified through our talent search programmes,” Shabalala remarked.
Eswatini’s International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)-accredited
Agent Dingane Maduma, now part of the KYRO team, encouraged clubs to release
players for assessments when requested.  I have established connections in
Europe for young players, and we will announce the identified players in due
course,” Maduma concluded.