Home | Sports | FAILURE TO EXPORT PLAYERS REFLECTS LEAGUE STANDARD

FAILURE TO EXPORT PLAYERS REFLECTS LEAGUE STANDARD

24/04/2020 00:08:00 BY LWAZI DLAMINI

Font size:

Legendary former Eswatini international Absalom ‘Scara’ Thindwa’s thought-provoking interview with South Africa’s Kick-Off Magazine website last week set the cat among the pigeons.

Thindwa was giving his two-cents worth opinion on why Eswatini has failed to export more talent to the money-spinning Mzansi’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) in recent times. While he pointed towards the sudden demise of dearly departed Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman, Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze, who was gunned down by a bumbling fool on the fateful evening of January 14, 2018 at exactly 6:53pm as the primary reason, the people’s game here has been stagnant, there are actually more reasons to the football malaise.

It is not just the crisis-by-management which has manifested itself at the football corridors of power at Sigwaca House, but it is also the lack of ambition from the players themselves, stunted development programmes and the big elephant in the room – the dominance of the security forces teams.

Former Sihlangu Serbian coach Kostadin ‘Bill Clinton’ Papic put it succinctly that the dominance of the security forces teams is bad for the game in the country. He was damn right. Once a good player signs for any of the three teams and lands a job they don’t have any ambition of furthering their careers. Add the fact that our so-called big three teams are having a lot of challenges – financial -wise, it reduces everything to a modern football tragedy.
That’s why our best players can only find home in the GladAfrica Championship, not the much-acclaimed Premier Soccer League (PSL).

reflective

That alone is reflective of the low standards of our so-called premier league. The players, who have suddenly found home at Mbombela United, have all played in the group stages of both CAF inter-club competitions, Champions League and Confederation Cup less than three years ago. This is shameful to say the least.
Come to think of it, over the past two decades, Eswatini has managed to produce less than 30 players that have earned professional contracts with different teams in South Africa.

Only five players managed to win contracts at glamour Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs, where they hoisted the country’s flag. These are former Manzini Wanderers’ shot-stopper William ‘Cool Cat’ Shongwe, now a football analyst at Supersport channel on DSTV, former Mbabane Highlanders’ winger Abel ‘Chacklas’ Shongwe, former Mbabane Swallows and Denver Sundowns’ speedy forward Ronnie Dube, former Bulembe Young Aces’ star mid-fielder Absalom ‘Scara’ Thindwa and former Royal Leopard’s slippery forward Sibusiso ‘Spoko’ Dlamini. ‘Spoko’ is the last Eswatini player to be signed by the ‘Phefeni Glamour Boys’, as Chiefs are affectionately known by their hordes of ardent followers.

The free-scoring ‘Spoko’ actually started his career at Mamelodi Sundowns when he was signed from Royal Leopard, spending two gameless seasons with the Pretoria giants before he was loaned out to Venda based Black Leopard, where he left a big mark, attracting the attention of Kaizer Chiefs with match-winning performances. The former Sihlangu striker has also played for Moroka Swallows in South Africa.

mighty

Interestingly, Eswatini has also been fairly represented at the mighty Soweto Buccaneers, Orlando Pirates Football Club, where a couple of local players have stood and passed the test of time. One of the country’s favourite mid-fielders, formerly with Mbabane Highlanders, Tholeni ‘Schuster’ Nkambule, was the first to open doors for players from his country to don the famous black and white jersey, followed by the likes of former Highlanders goalkeeper Diffuse Lukhele while Dennis ‘Yuki’ Masina was the last player to earn a contract with the Orlando giants. The international career of ‘Yuki’ is well documented and decorated as he remains one of the only few Eswatini players to earn a professional contract in Europe as he played in Belgium for two seasons after he was signed from SuperSport United.

The former stocky attacking mid-fielder started his South African career at the now defunct Umtata Bush Bucks before he was snapped up by SuperSport United, where he quickly established himself as one of the team’s key and regular players. This is where his silky football skills did not go unnoticed as he was signed by Pirates before his final move to Mpumalanga Black Aces, where he was development coach before the team was sold by the owners. He is currently one of the assistant coaches at South Africa’s National First Division League side Mbombela United, after a two-year stint with Matsapha United in the local premier league where he was player/coach.

mark

Other Eswatini players who left a mark in the neighbouring league are now Mbabane Swallows captain Tony ‘TT’ Tsabedze, who excelled at both SuperSport United and Cape Town based Santos FC. It was at SuperSport where the tricky Tsabedze left a huge impression and won a lot of accolades, especially from the usually hard-to-please South African media.

Black Leopard is another South African team that recorded a fair representation of Eswatini players over the years. As previously mentioned, ‘Spoko’ was a star player for the Venda based club alongside his countrymen Wonder ‘Samba Jive’ Nhleko and former Mbabane Highlanders’ right-back Bongani ‘Ndezi’ Masangane. Nhleko has played for a couple of other teams in that country including Platinum Stars among others.

Mphumelelo ‘Flamingo’ Gamedze, now a proud football academy owner, enjoyed good times at Wits University after he was signed from Manzini Wanderers, who had secured his services from Mhlambanyatsi Rovers. He was to be later joined by former Moneni Pirates’ speedy forward Mhlonishwa ‘President’ Zwane, a stylish striker who will always be remembered for his lightning pace and goal-scoring instincts. The country also managed to produce players that played in Durban for Amazulu and these are Pele Mncina, former Mhlume FC striker Bongie ‘Dumbai’ Dlamini and now coach Mlamuli ‘Sputla’ Zwane. Jomo Cosmos, now campaigning in the South African National First Division League, have also provided opportunities for a number of Eswatini players in the past and such players include former Mbabane Swallows’ sharp-shooter Siza ‘King Pele’ Dlamini, who upon retirement, was appointed as one of the team’s coaches for a long time before returning home to rejoin his beloved Swallows as physical trainer.

discarded

Other players that have turned out for Cosmos include former Swallows’ skilful midfielder Banele ‘Pupu’ Sikhondze (now at Mbombela United after he was discarded by Polokwane City), Phinda ‘Phindrix’ Dlamini, who is presently in the books of Green Mamba and Mfanafuthi ‘Taribo’ Bhembe, the former Swallows and Manzini Wanderers’ lanky striker. In the current era, most of the local players are playing in the National First Division League for Mbombela United and these are Felix Badenhorst, Njabulo ‘D4D’ Ndlovu, Justice Figureto who is on loan at the struggling National First Division side based in Nelspruit.
Unless and until we confront the big elephant in the room – the security forces issue with the seriousness it deserves – and get our development programmes in place and apply a scientific approach to our football malaise as outlined in programmes like the CAF Club Licensing, we will continue trying to fit square pegs into round holes.
Our best players would only be good to play in the SA National First Division and our national team, Sihlangu, will continue being the whipping boys of the region. Our football needs a revolution from all sides.