COVID-19 RULES FLOUTED

MBABANE – The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) and match commissioners are at loggerheads as some teams are flouting the COVID-19 regulations openly.

The Times Sports Desk has been made aware that several cases have been fingered, where team players and officials who do not have COVID-19 results have been allowed to enter restricted areas inside the stadiums.
According to highly-placed sources, PLE and match commissioners are at loggerheads as the latter are enforcing the COVID-19 rules as per the competition rules and regulations. “The Eswatini Football Association (EFA) and PLE asked that government allow top flight and organised football to resume promising that COVID-19 rules and regulations will be adhered to.

Monitored

“The consensus was that players will test for COVID-19 and be monitored daily but this is not happening,” claimed a source. According to sources, PLE COVID-19 compliance officers and teams COVID-19 compliance officers allegedly secretly agree to allow players and officials who either do not have COVID-19 results or results suspected not to be authentic to enter the stadium and go to the first and second zones where other players and officials might be exposed.

“Some of the players and officials pretend as if they have tested for COVID-19 but when the match commissioner checks their names against the list submitted by the football governing body it transpires that they never tested but they appear on team lists,” alleged a source. The sources claimed this was the reason some match commissioners are at times forced not to allow some players and officials to be on the bench during games.
“The PLE has accused match commissioners of overstepping but match commissioners are following rules to protect the players and other officials,” alleged a source.

Noteworthy is that Match Commissioner Bhekizizwe Mkhabela ordered Tinyosi head coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane not to sit on the bench on Sunday when they played against Mhlume Peacemakers and lost 0-1 in an MTN Premier League encounter at Tambankulu Stadium. The former Royal Leopard coach had to carry out his coaching duties while seated at the stands.

Disclosed

When asked why he could not lead his team on the day, Ntibane disclosed that he did not have valid COVID-19 test results as per the requirement of the PLE.

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