EFA’S E700 000 COVID-19 BUDGET

Sports Editor

MBABANE – The Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Medical Committee has submitted a budget of E700 000 to the Executive Committee to help football fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The budget, which could rise to over E1 million, was tabled last Friday during the Executive Committee meeting held at Sigwaca House.

Solely

An informed source told the Times of Eswatini Sports Desk yesterday that the budget was solely for Premier League football and as a result it is not conclusive of the entire football fraternity.

“The figure could rise to over E1 million because the tentative budget submitted by the Medical Committee only covers Premier League. We have about 700 football clubs in the country and this budget doesn’t even cover the personnel and protective clothing including fumigating the various stadiums and sports grounds around the country,” the source said.

The source further stated that given the financial challenges faced by the EFA, frantic efforts were being made to tap into the newly-established FIFA Emergency Fund, which has been set up by the international mother body to assist the 211 member associations in the fight against the pandemic.
“But FIFA wasn’t up-to-date with financials and also updates on the programmes which were supposed to be undertaken. The money won’t be released willy-nilly. We might have to use part of the money that was intended for other projects or some of the tournaments that have since been cancelled due to the coronavirus,” the source added. Chairman of the Medical Committee Comfort Shongwe confirmed that they have submitted a plus/minus E700 000 budget to fight the pandemic.

Covers

“Obviously this budget covers the Premier League and it will rise.
“It is difficult to put the right costs for this because we have to prioritise the stadiums and also how we will strategise in combating the virus,” he said.
Shongwe said, as a football association, they were proactive by sticking to the IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) system.

“When we stopped the games, this was the first phase of the strategy which was making the information available and then the second phase will be the activity to say we need to sanitise and provide the equipment for the officials in the event the games resume.

“We are guided by government in this regard but we have been ready with our strategy for a long time regarding the pandemic,” Shongwe said.
The football season was suspended until May 20.

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