ESWATINIBANK CUP: SOLO INJE!

My dearest readers ... Quickly now, I have not gone through the holy book with a fine tooth comb or have I put a call through to my spiritual father, Ken Lukumba of the Straight Gate International Church at Sidvwashini but the number 16 in numerology resonates with wisdom, independence and family.

It is a number of introspection. It talks to wisdom, intuitivism and independence. My good Lord, it is both spiritual and analytical!
This says it all about the magical SwaziBank Cup ... now known as the EswatiniBank Cup, which was launched in a glittering ceremony yesterday at the spacious Royal Swazi, with all the who’s who of local football in attendance.

Before you embrace me as a ‘junior’ pastor, let me tell you here and now, I am raving about the 16th edition of the magical EswatiniBank Cup. I get emotional when I write about this tournament because for 15 glorious years it has captivated our hearts, mesmerised us with scintillating football, touched us with carnival atmosphere, left us spell-bound with its drama, shocks and most importantly, it’s never failing ability to reincarnate the romantic biblical storyline of little Davids slaying the lardy Goliaths of local football. The EswatiniBank Cup, good gracious me, is a tournament LIKE NO OTHER. Might I add, IVUTSA BHE! 

The well lit, decorated auditorium yesterday was not only eye-catching but it certainly set the tournament a cut above the rest. Propelled by a new slogan, SOLO INJE!, nicely crafted by two creative minds, Mumsy Maphako and Mbongiseni Dlamini, who participated in this newspaper’s slogan competition, the EswatiniBank Cup once again re-affirmed its special place in the Swazi soccer family as a trendsetter and a ‘bank with a BIG heart’!

prophets

The holy book in the Old Testament, counts 16 prophets and the New Testament counts 16 apostles and 16 evangelists. The number 16, according to the Holy book, also reflects that Uzziah had 16 years when the people of Judah chose him as king in succession to his father Amaziah. (2 K 14,21).
If that doesn’t make your blood boil, then I am afraid dear reader, you are an Eskimo. The 16th edition of the EswatiniBank Cup will be special in many aspects – even the holy book says so.

The E300 000 increment of the sponsorship package to a massive E2.9 million has proven the bank’s commitment to football as a reliable partner, in particular with the winners taking home a lucrative E1.1 million. Yes, the honour of being the ‘richest tournament’ in the land might have been lost to Ingwenyama Cup but the truth remains, these two tournaments are not competing against each and if anything, there are complementing each other, given their all-inclusive nature of teams from the lower ranks right up to the elite league. Besides, the EswatiniBank Cup is a national competition which carries a ticket to the Total CAF Confederations Cup. It is what the English FA, the oldest knockout competition in the world, is to the country that gave birth to football; what the Nedbank Cup is to Mzansi football, the richest league in Africa. 

We all tend to love the EswatiniBank Cup because this year, the number 16, according to Hindu religion, also speaks to ‘the capacity to transmit a pure love current, inexhaustible; the possibility to transcend all conditions of the Karma which appears by his capacity to transform miraculously the life of a person by an act of divine will.’

For good measure, it even says some roses of cathedrals have 16 rays! Every soul inside the Royal Swazi auditorium yesterday can attest this was a special occasion to launch a special tournament that touches our heart-strings in a special way. The number 16 is used 21 times in the Bible and we can only, as the tournament kicks off this weekend, see more than 21 goals because this tournament is known for its glut of goals, drama, shocks and scintillating football.
We can all attest this tournament, even before the first ball is kicked in anger, SOLO INJE!

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: