PLE REQUESTS E2M FROM EFA

MBABANE – It is a football with no money for clubs in the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE).

It is an unusual season in that clubs have not had the privilege of counting on supporters for revenue yet most solely depend on that for any income. However, the coronavirus pandemic has deprived clubs of spectatorship since the last match to ever pack the Somhlolo National Stadium, the Ingwenyama Cup final between Mbabane Highlanders and Green Mamba last March. This has seen the PLE make a swift move to request for financial assistance from the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) – a figure of at least E2 million has been tabled before the EFA and is an issue the new executive committee led by new President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane has to deal with among others. “We are aware as clubs that the PLE is trying something for us given the cancellation of the knockout tournaments, where we make money from fans and participation fees and prizes. Now there are no fans and the live-streaming has not penned out as well as thought earlier as it’s a first time experience for all of us. “I understand they forwarded a E2 million request from EFA to try and assist clubs under the circumstances as we’re struggling without the fans and the knockouts,” said a team director who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Aid

PLE Chairman Mark Carmichael was reached about the said request for financial aid from the mother body. “Unfortunately, it’s not within my scope to comment on what you’re asking about at this stage. Obviously I’m an interested member here so the EFA are the rightful body to respond to this especially because I also sit in the EFA executive,” he responded. He explained that while they understood the situation was dire for the country’s football, they were trying their best to comply with COVID-19  regulations and push the games to the end as soon as they could. However, issues of financial aid requested from EFA were not on his lap at the moment but the mother body itself. It is understood the EFA Executive Committee had its first meeting yesterday since the election a fortnight ago. “Until the PLE has an official response I don’t have anything to say but EFA are the right people to ask about this,” he said. However, EFA CEO Frederick Mngomezulu said the PLE was the rightful organisation to respond as the clubs were their members. “There’s protocol and the PLE clubs are members there so they’ll get their response from the PLE,” he explained.

Fund

Meanwhile, the EFA had earlier on this season subsidised all elite and first division clubs with about E700 000 from the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund while over E4 million is expected to be spent on COVID-19 testing of the 30 PLE clubs in the 2020/21 season, which will be without the Ingwenyama Cup, EswatiniBank Cup and Eswatini Telecom Charity Cup.

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