Times Of Swaziland: CAF CONFEDERATION CUP QUALIFICATION DILEMMA

CAF CONFEDERATION CUP QUALIFICATION DILEMMA
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Nimrod Hlophe on 16/01/2025 08:56:00


MBABANE – The qualification criteria for the 2025/26 CAF TotalEnergies
Confederation Cup remain unresolved for Eswatini teams.
This uncertainty arises as none of the current season’s competition rules
explicitly outline the qualification criterion for Confederation of African
Football (CAF) second-tier inter-club tournament. Only the MTN League
regulations address continental participation. Article 14 of the 2024/25 MTN
League rules and regulations states: “The log positions as at the end of this
tournament shall be used to determine the top club that will be eligible to
participate in the African Champions League. This may be amended from time to
time as directed by the EFA in line with existing or intervening regulations
regarding international participation of clubs under this league.”
Neither the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup nor the Ingwenyama Cup guarantees its winner a
ticket to represent the country on the continent. However, the Premier League of
Eswatini (PLE) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pat ‘Kungumusa’ Vilakati, has
indicated that a football decision will be made regarding matters not addressed
by the rules and regulations, as has been customary in the past. In the previous
season, the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) announced before the last 32
kick-off of the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (SMVAF) -sponsored
Ingwenyama Cup that the winner would automatically qualify for an inter-club
competition.
However, two-time champions Green Mamba declined the opportunity, citing the
high costs associated with participating in continental competitions while the
country lacks a CAF-approved stadium. Consequently, Nsingizini Hotspurs, who
finished third in the MTN Premier League, took the slot. Mbabane Swallows would
have claimed it had they not been participating in the Champions League.
Historically, the honour of qualifying for this competition has typically been
associated with the yet-to-return EswatiniBank Cup.