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WHAT WE’LL MISS IN COVID-19 ERA

21/06/2020 23:47:00 BY LWAZI DLAMINI

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Sports Editor

Even in the face of the surging COVID-19 infection curve, the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) is adamant the 2019/2020 could still be concluded – on the pitch.

This is what the football mother body, in its infinite wisdom, has assured not only sponsors but government as well.
Like a student following the teacher, the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) nods nonchalantly even though the smokescreen of a COVID-19 Committee is purportedly consulting with the PLE affiliates to find their views on the fate of the 2019/2020 season.

As the country recorded its fifth COVID-19 death over the past weekend, the stark reality is that it will take more than just guts to restart the season under the prevailing circumstances and after-all, government is yet to give counsel on the sporting activities.

uncertainty

The uncertainty is causing a lot of restlessness and anxiety for everybody connected to the game. Others have already pronounced that it would be prudent to void the season and start planning for next season.
But the powers-that-be in football, for God knows what reasons, continue to bury their heads in the sand. It remains to be seen what and when eventually the plug will be pulled.

Whatever the case might be, there are certainly new things that would have to be undertaken, whenever the football action finally resumes.
Some traditional things, associated with the game of billions for donkey years, would have to be discarded in the new COVID-19 era. Sports Editor, Lwazi Dlamini, lists the FIVE things that will certainly herald a new phenomenon in football.

NO FANS AT STADIUMS

Ever thought of football without the fans? Never! But this is the stark reality facing the game as we have already seen in the other bigger leagues like Germany’s Bundesliga, the Spanish LaLiga and the much loved English Premiership.

Football without the fans is like food without salt; Bob Marley without the Wailers; Gladys Knight without the Pips. Lifeless. Soulless.
Thanks to the coronavirus, the football landscape has changed. In advanced countries like Spain, Germany and England, live broadcast with the sound crews playing recorded crowd sound, provided by EA Sports, for the supporter soundtrack but there is occasional lack of synchronicity where the piped fan noise is concerned.

It is not the same, clearly. In our wacky world of football, where there is no live broadcast, it would surely feel like walking into a library!

NO PRE-MATCH
TRADITIONAL HAND-SHAKES

One of the key components of the precautionary measures concerning COVID-19 is social distancing. This means the traditional hand shakes before games between the two team players will be avoided like plague. Even the coin-tossing would probably need a sanitiser before being done. No waving to the absent fans. It will be surreal.

HYPERBOLE CELEBRATIONS A THING OF THE PAST

Hammering goals is the essence of the game and how they are celebrated is the soul of soccer. But with one of the conditions being no touching, spitting and all, we will not see the hyperbole celebrations usually associated with the game. One of the beauties of football is how the players celebrate when one of their own has scored. This will not be a possibility as they have to maintain some social distancing too. Strange indeed.

THE NEW FIVE SUBSTITUTES PER GAME RULE

FIFA, the world governing body, has sanctioned a five-substitution per game ruling to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the players lying idle for over three months.
The new rule has been welcomed by many technicians of the game who feel the players will not be at the required level to last a gruelling 90-minute match.

NO PAP N’ VLEIS

The alluring smell of pap n’ vleis welcomes you as you enter the cauldron of the cathedral of football where we worship every weekend. It is part and parcel of the game and as old as the game itself.
But with the strict restrictions on social distancing and with no fans, the vendors who sell their wares at the stadiums will also be missing in action.
The few sports journalists, officials and players, who have to maintain social distancing even on the bench, will all be by themselves. It will be a new phenomenon.