NSINGIZINI HOTSPURS FLY INTO NATIONAL FIRST DIVISION LEAGUE

MBABANE – Justice served!

This best describes the judgment delivered by the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Appeals Board last night, which declared the protests lodged by Amalanda FC about a Nsingizini Hotspurs player, Sebenele Dlamini, null and void. This ultimately means Nsingizini Hotspurs have now gained promotion to the National First Division League. The Shiselweni Regional Football Association (SRFA) representatives are expected to play their first game against trailblazing log leaders Vovovo FC at King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium at 1pm.

Headed

The Appeals Board, which heard the case last week, is headed by Senior Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini, who delivered the judgment to the two parties (Nsingizini Hotspurs and Amalanda FC) at Sigwaca House last night.
“The Board, in consideration of the arguments tendered by both parties and arguments presented finds that the order of the High Court is instructive on the parameters of the hearing. The Board has therefore limited itself to the provisions of Article 9 (1). This provision provides that a protest may only be lodged before the commencement of the game or on introduction of the player subject of the protest.”

The ruling further stated that; “In the matter concerned, the protest, according to the Referee’s report which is conclusive matters relating to play, says the protest was lodged ‘2 minutes game in, supposedly 2minutes after the commencement of the game.” The ruling statement also highlights that the protest was not lodged before the beginning of the game, nor was it lodged when the player was introduced. “Therefore the requirements of Article 9 (1) have not been met. For that reason, it is the Board’s finding that the protest falls foul of the provision and it therefore null and void,” part of the ruling reads.

Comment

When reached for comment, Nsingizini Hotspurs legal representative Zakhele Dlamini said he was elated that justice had been served. “At last justice has been served. This matter is one that I didn’t even expect to have gone to the High Court and I fail to understand this because the rules are clear when it comes to the time of lodging a protest. Finally, justice has been served,” Dlamini said briefly.

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