'Landers drop to third!

MBABANE – With one game into the MTN League second round, the league title race is penning out to be not just your kindergarten egg-and-spoon race but as intriguing and enthralling as a tense game of chess.

As Royal Leopards striker Mfanzile ‘Fash’ Dlamini engaged in an epileptic chicken style celebration style ala Jomo Sono, after scoring the lone goal that dislodged Mbabane Highlanders at the summit of the log on Wednesday night at the Trade Fair grounds, the gloves were clearly off from the reigning three-time league champions.

A statement of intent was made loud and clear – it reverberated in the heart of the capital city as Highlanders, the long time leaders lost further ground following bitter rivals, Mbabane Swallows 1-all draw with another title challenger, Mhlambanyatsi Rovers.

As Highlanders’ supporters swallowed the bitter pill of defeat, coming at the backdrop of four straight wins in both SwaziBank Cup and MTN League – including a 3-0 demolition of Manzini Wanderers and 3-2 cup victory over bitter rivals, Swallows – the stark reality that their dreams of a rare league and Cup double could end up in tears seem to hit a few pointers home.

The honey-throated fans, who have embraced coach Zonke Mawelela like a prodigal son, were a bundle of nerves at the end of the 0-1 loss to Leopards with some of the club’s top brass openly questioning his tactics or the lack thereof.

Facing their former coach, Francis ‘Mkhulu’ Banda, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of Highlanders strengths and weaknesses, on Sunday in the form of Green Mamba at the Prince of Wales, Highlanders resolve and mental strength out of their comfort zone – Somhlolo Stadium – will be severely tested. Green Mamba’s disastrous form, granted, would not get even Real Madrid of Macetjeni quaking in their boots, but Highlanders know only too well anything other than victory, the wheels may come off and they would need binoculars to keep track of Leopards who seem to have hit their rich vein of form at the right time.

More pressure would be mounted unto the ‘Black Bull’ in the event Leopards eliminate Rovers out of the league title race with another victory tomorrow at Somhlolo Stadium, whilst Mbabane Swallows would have to do much better than play the tortuous, sleep-inducing football if they are to be considered title challengers despite their lofty flattering second position on the log.

Granted, with 30 more points to play for, the league title race is still wide open after a slow-start to the season where some of the games were such an eyesore watching them felt like being slowly suffocated inside a large plastic bag. There are certainly methods of wartime torture more humane that watching some of the tortuous football on display fans were treated to in the early stages with some games deserving to have anything but free entrance.

But like a tense game of chess, the league is taking shape with three teams, Leopards, Highlanders, Swallows and Rovers announcing themselves as title challengers though indications again already point to the fact that the usual suspect – Leopards –have clearly demonstrated they are gunning for a record fourth successive league trophy. At this point, very few would bet against Manfred Chabinga’s resurgent charges as they have been there, done it and got plenty of T-shirts and just for kicks, the league trophy for keeps last season. Now, who has what it takes to dethrone them? Indeed, like leopards, they just can’t change their winning spots!

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