NO TEAM TRAINING BEFORE COVID-19 TESTING

MBABANE – There is confusion in as far as preparations for the restart of top flight football is concerned.

Information gathered by this publication is to the effect that some teams have been allegedly informed by the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) that group training was not permitted before all players and officials were tested for COVID-19. This, then, according to some concerned teams, contradicted the organisation’s statement they forwarded to teams last Friday.
The PLE statement stated that teams may start preparations with immediate effect after they were given 10 days to do so as of Friday, March 19.

Announced

This was after government, through the Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku announced that premier league and first division teams, as well as organised football, were given permission to resume, but under strict COVID-19 guidelines. The lifting of the ban was not only limited to football but other sporting codes considered to be low risks sports. “Information we are getting from PLE COO Pat Vilakati this morning (yesterday) is that teams cannot train in groups until all players and staff have been tested for COVID-19.
“PLE is still waiting for a directive and logistics on when and how to resume. If teams are able to test and have certificates for players, then they may train but individual player training programmes are permitted,” confided our sources.

Another team confirmed that PLE gave them the leeway to continue group trainings if they afforded to test the players; otherwise they had to wait for football authorities to provide testing services. Vilakati was reached for comment, but did not want to state the exact directive they had given to teams save for the fact that any team that had a concern was allowed to approach their offices for clarity. “What is the meaning of preparations?” he asked rhetorically. He said the memo talked of preparations and was not limited to team training, but could mean preparing items to be need for games such as sanitisers. “We wrote memos to teams and those with concerns should contact or visit the PLE offices,” he said.

Vilakati said different interpretations may be made on what preparations actually meant. Meanwhile, today marks the fourth day of the 10 days PLE had given teams to prepare for the restart of the Premier League and First Division games. Teams are expecting a way forward from the PLE as the organisation highlighted that they will give direction early this week after consultations with the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) and other stakeholders.

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