CATASTROPHIC!

MBABANE – Catastrophic! That is the situation for local football after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced an indefinite break in activity.
Manzini Sea Birds players are among the section of the people to whom the outbreak of the pandemic will come at a heavy cost.

The Times Sports Desk has reliably gathered that management of the team will impose a 70 per cent pay cut for the month of April as there has been no football activity, meaning there has been no income in the form of gate takings.

A player of the team, who preferred to comment on condition of anonymity, divulged that the team was struggling financially and most players were at home doing nothing.

He said they suspected that management would impose salary cuts as financial income was scarce without football activity.
“I am not sure what will happen but I think they will impose salary cuts as most of us are at home as there is no football activity,” he said.

Highly placed sources at the team confided that ‘Izinyoni Zolwandle’ management would impose a 70 per cent pay cut as the players were not doing anything.
“The players are at home doing nothing as there is currently no activity, it will be impractical to pay them full salaries for this month and the team management are looking at imposing 70 per cent pay cut,” confided the source.

Comment

Drawn for comment, Sea Birds Chairman Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane did not deny the news that they would be imposing salary cuts for the month of April but politely referred questions to General Manager London Dlamini, citing ethical reasons as he also holds the position of vice-president at the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Executive Committee.

“Please contact London Dlamini, he is the right person to comment on matters relating to the team,” he said.
Dlamini was also drawn for comment and confirmed that management considered cutting salaries for the players for this month.
The manager did not deny that they would cut the salaries by 70 per cent but disclosed that management would meet either today or tomorrow to finalise on the matter.

“We will meet as management either tomorrow (today) or Tuesday (tomorrow) to finalise on the matter of salary cuts.
“It is difficult to pay the players full salaries because most of them are at home doing nothing after the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Dlamini.

The manager highlighted that there was no sustainable financial income as teams mainly relied on gate-takings and games were currently put on hold.
He said from the proposed meeting, it is where they would finalise everything on the players’ salary cuts.

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