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THE A-TO-Z OF 2021!

28/12/2021 08:28:00 Lwazi Dlamini Pandora's Box

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My dearest readers ...

Now that you have devoured a month’s groceries and drank copious amounts of the waters of immortality all in the name of celebrating Mary’s baby boy, Jesus Christ, welcome back to reality. We are a few hours away from the First World status ... Oops, cut, cut, cut. That was postponed indefinitely. My bad. We are a few hours away from a brand new year, 2022. We thank the man above for looking after us and our families during a very traumatic year. We lost too many people – our parents, our friends, colleagues and people of substance in our society. Thanks to the greatest tragedy of our lifetime – the COVID-19 pandemic. All in all, we still need to be grateful to God because everything that happens is His will. As we recover from all the Christmas festivities, let’s go through the A-to-Z of the year 2021. Here we go again.

A – ALLY KGOMONGWE:
The Pretoria-based businessman gave Mbabane Highlanders Patrons an ultimatum to register the team as a company or he stepped aside. After dilly-dallying, they finally relented, handing him 80 per cent shares in the country’s most successful club founded in 1952 at the Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT). Highlanders are in safe hands under the leadership of Kgomongwe and already he ended the ‘Black Bull’ nine-year wait for a trophy, winning the EswatiniTelecom Charity Cup in 2019 and reaching the final of the Ingwenyama Cup in 2020.

B – ‘BOMBER’ MTHETHWA:
The former Eswatini Football Association (EFA) president finally loosened his grip on Eswatini football after a combined 24-years-in-charge when he was elected Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) President on March 7. He remains the longest serving football president in the country. He was then replaced by Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane.

C – CARMICHAEL:
The Denver Sundowns Chairman, Mark Carmichael, has had a very challenging reign as Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman. Since he got into office on September 20, 2020, he has had to deal with a lot of teething administration challenges, an organisation run on a shoe-string budget as only one competition is being staged and the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic threatening to force the game into oblivion.

D – DENNIS MASINA:
Dennis ‘Yuki’ Masina is probably the best export the country’s football has ever had and after the demise of Mbombela United, where he was assistant coach, he has reportedly ventured into a truck business. A very wise decision indeed.

E – ESWATINIBANK CUP:
The country’s most popular tournament had to be halted when it had reached its quarter-final stage in March 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. How much Eswatini football misses its razzmatazz, magic and fanfare.

F – FELIX BADENHORST:
The lanky forward has rekindled his love affair with the Swallows of Mbabane after a short stint in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) outfit, TS Galaxy. He has announced his return to Swallows with some good performances and has already netted three goals in seven games.

G – GOALS:
A massive 120 goals have been scored in ‘Week Seven’ of the gruelling MTN league this season. This is 24 goals better than the same stage last season. The appetite for goals this season can shame a leopard that has not had a meal for a day. Mbabane Highlanders, placed on the second spot, have scored the most goals – 17.

H – HIS MAJESTY KING MSWATI III:
His Majesty King Mswati III is the Patron of the Ingwenyama Cup, which is also named after him. Since the tournament began in the 2015/2016 season, he has always attended the Cup final. Bayethe Wena Waphakathi!

I – INGWENYAMA CUP:
The country’s richest tournament was last staged last year (2020) when Green Mamba strung Mbabane Highlanders so effortlessly as if they were Toni Braxton’s Spanish Guitar on March 8 in a 2-0 defeat to win the tournament for the first time.

J – JUNIOR MAGAGULA:
Shockingly overlooked for a well-deserved Player of the Season gong last season, the Royal Leopard lavishly talented midfielder has not been deterred, dishing out some scintillating performances even this season and already he has netted four goals in seven games as a midfielder, nogal.

K – KENNETH MAKHANYA:
The former EFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ended another short stint at South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. He is one of the most learned football administrators in the country and well respected by even CAF president and multi billionaire, Dr. Patrice Motsepe.

L – LWAZI: The game’s most fastidious arm-chair critic. He writes what he likes. He knows better that in this noble journalism profession, you cannot have permanent friends and enemies.

M – MAXWELL JELE:
The outgoing Eswatini Tennis Association (ETA) president was recently appointed Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

N – NSINGIZINI HOT SPURS:
The Shiselweni-based National First Division side is one of the best run teams in the country even if there are at a lower level. With their own branded sprinter, having hired good coaching personnel including former Jomo Cosmos assistant coach, Siza Selby ‘King Pele’ Dlamini, the treasure-hunting first division side are on the second spot on the log table, just two points behind log leaders Black Swallows.

O – OMICRON:
The Omicron variant is said to spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, but how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. The scientists are saying that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

P – PENALTIES:
Four penalties have been awarded and scored so far this season. Royal Leopard bulky midfielder, Zweli ‘Mlilo Nxumalo scored the last penalty in the 2-0 win over Denver Sundowns last Tuesday at KaLanga Technical Centre.

Q – QUEEN’S BATON:
The Queen’s Baton arrived in the country on Wednesday, December 15 from Namibia and it precedes the Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham in seven month’s time.

R – RICHARD McCREESH:
The Mbabane Swallows midfielder is enjoying a new lease of life under Ghanaian coach Christopher Ennin after a short stint at Manzini Wanderers. He looks focused and energetic like when he made his debut for the Swallows of Mbabane from the development sides many seasons ago.

S – ‘SIKHALI’ NDZINISA:
The country’s deadliest striker has proven to be in a league of his own. He scored 19 of the 42 goals Highlanders scored last season and this season, he leads the race for the ‘Golden Boot’ with seven goals. He is the best thing to happen to Highlanders after sliced bread in recent years. He was deservedly crowned ‘Player of the Month’ for November.

T – TSETLA BHEMBE:
The dearly departed Vovovo FC director and member of the PLE Executive Committee, who passed away on Thursday December 16, has left a void that will not be easy to fill in our football. A true PLE Board of Governors, a good gentleman who was so passionate about football he sacrificed his time and money to see the game progress. His sad demise is another sad chapter for Eswatini football. He will be sorely missed.

U – UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Twenty-eight years since the country last hosted the COSAFA Under-20 Youth Championships, the country had a chance to host it again this year, but the tournament was postponed indefinitely by COSAFA. COSAFA insisted though that Eswatini would still host the tournament with a budget of E10 million.

V – VICTOR GAMEDZE:
On January 14, 2022, it will be exactly four years since a bumbling fool with no regard for life gunned down in cold-blood Victor Mfana ‘Maradona’ Gamedze at a Galp Filling Station in Ezulwini, throwing the whole country into perpetual agony. To this day, it still feels like a bad dream. To this day, this country is still paying the price for the death of a man whose influence, hard work in all sectors of society was beginning to bear fruits. Eswatini football, in particular, is poorer without him.

W – WANDERERS:
After months of administration challenges, the country’s most fervently supported side Manzini Wanderers look to be settled. Granted their sixth position on the log with three wins in seven games, two draws and two losses, is average at best, but given the financial challenges the club has had in recent years, it is not a bad return. But there is room for improvement as the new signings are settling in quickly. My late father, TT - the biggest Wanderers supporter I have known - must be smiling in his grave.

X – XAVI MKHONTFO
He is one of the best performers in Dumsani ‘DU’ Makhanya’s inconsistent Green Mamba side, having scored three goals in seven games this season.

Y – YOUNG BUFFALOES:
The army side had their worst start to a season in years. Without a win in the opening four games in which they lost the first three matches then playing a goalless draw with Tinyosi FC finally winning 3-0 against hapless Milling Hotspurs on December 5 at Tambankulu Stadium. It has been uncharacteristic for the dominant army side.

Z – ZWELI NXUMALO:
He may look like a ship ready for a spit braai, but the Royal Leopard lavishly talented midfielder makes up for his lack of pace with a brilliant football mind. His passes are inch-perfect and he regularly chips in with a goal or two. The son of Moneni Pirates legend Ntozakhe Nxumalo, is still a joy to watch whenever he has the ball on his nimble feet.