EMULATE ‘BUFFS’, KING URGES TEAMS

MANZINI – “Consistency and perseverance surely will yield positive results if managed patiently.”

That was the message from His Majesty King Mswati III during the Ingwenyama Cup prize-giving at Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday night. It was directed at Young Buffaloes, who have won the Ingwenyama Cup for the first time in four attempts.

After being runners-up to three-time champions Mbabane Swallows in 2017, the King noted that Dominic Kunene’s troops demonstrated careful game-planning and preparation to finally prevail.

“We are confident that other teams will emulate their strategies in preparations as well in the skilful display in the field of play,” said the King.
Buffaloes acting CEO Thando ‘Va’ Nxumalo said they were honoured and humbled to get recognition from the King, saying they were taken aback that His Majesty monitored their performance.

“After pushing hard in previous years, we’re happy to be finally reaping the rewards. We have been pushing hard without success in previous attempts. We’re finally getting things right following a flawless blending of young and experienced players. The likes of Sanele Ngcamphala and ‘Rio’ (Lindani Matsenjwa) are some of the products of our development.

“It is a great motivation to be praised by the King,” said Nxumalo.
He said there was no looking back from here, as they were planning to go big from next season.
“The best is yet to come. Next season we want to sweep the boards,” he said.

Buffaloes became the second team to win the tournament after thrashing Mbabane Highlanders by 4-1 in the decider on March 17 this year. Swallows had won all three previous editions.
The King, on the other hand, stressed that it was high time the country got represented in major tournaments like the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The King noted that tournaments like the Ingwenyama Cup could be a catalyst of achieving the dream, as it provided the players with a platform to shine.
eliminated
“It is unfortunate that we get eliminated in qualifiers of the major tournaments, but it’s high time we make the cut,” said the King.
The national soccer outfit, Sihlangu are yet to qualify for a major tournament, but now have an increased chance of qualifying for the continental football showpiece (AFCON) following an expansion from 16 to 24 teams.

Meanwhile, the awards ceremony signalled the end of another eventful edition of the unique Ingwenyama tournament. The tournament’s committees, led by Prince Hlangabeza, were commended by the King after spending sleepless nights in trying their best to deliver a successful tournament.
Champions from the various sectors that include culture also got a pat on the back.

One of the big winners on the night was champions Young Buffaloes’ marksman Sandile Gamedze, who was the named the best player. He got E25 000 in prize money, as his five-goal tally was also unmatched after the tournament. He made a stop on the podium to receive his prizes from the King.

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