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‘SIKHALI’ RETURNS, PLAYERS SHARE E100K INCENTIVE

03/08/2022 08:29:00 Chris Dlamini

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MBABANE – He is the Captain of Mbabane Highlanders ship and he helped steer them to the runners-up position in the MTN Premier League last season.

That is the league’s Player of the Season Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa, who is also vice captain in the senior national team Sihlangu where he has also banged in the goals. He netted 23 last season and before then he had finished with 19 goals. The first occasion saw him come second to Phiwayinkhosi ‘Slwabelwabe’ Dlamini who scored 22 goals in the 2020/21 season before netting just once last season.

In the past season, the top scorer was his national teammate, Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze, who set a new record of 26 goals. “We’re working hard and against time as a team to get our new signings done and ready for the CAF task, as well as the new season. We’re also getting a few things out of the way but obviously our Captain, ‘Sikhali’ and three other players were with the national team but as soon as they rejoin us, ‘Sikhali’ will be handed the players’ incentives as the captain,” team Managing Director (MD) Kgomongwe said. Questioned how much of the E500 000 runners-up prize would they share, as he had pledged E200 000 had they lifted the trophy; Kgomongwe said as much as they had worked towards winning the league title, he was still happy with their efforts.

“Because we didn’t win the league but finished as runners-up, they will now share E100 000 and we’ve already spoken about that with the management committee (MC). We’ll know how to distribute it once the captain had accepted the cash on his teammates’ behalf,” he said. The South African businessman, who celebrated his second trophy with Highlanders as they won the preseason Bible Society Cup last Saturday, said he was determined to once again come up with a relatively strong team for domestic matches and the international scene.

Incentives

He would not divulge names of the targets, especially the foreign players as they released three from last season’s team. These were defender David ‘GP’ Molekuli, winger Nkosinathi ‘Smally’ Fakude and striker Tshepo Chaine. Highlanders’ Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mandla Madonsela confirmed that Kgomongwe sanctioned the incentives, as he was in the country over the weekend. “We’re all waiting for the national team players as you know they include our Captain ‘Sikhali’, so the MD did say those incentives must be paid when the players from Sihlangu returned. It was agreed that we would wait until they were back then we’ll discuss how it is shared,” Madonsela explained.

He said the four players, ‘Sikhali’, goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala, defender Peter Dlamini and attacking midfielder Philani Mkhonto were back from the national team assignment but was not sure when they would join them at training as it was possible they were given a few days to rest. It is worth mentioning that Sikhali’s earnings have shot up to E71 000 from his national duty and individual earnings at COSAFA Cup 2022 and MTN Premier League and it is set to rise. This is excluding his salary and winning bonuses at club level. There was no immediate comment from ‘Sikhali’, who is also a subject for transfer, mainly on social media where he is strongly linked with Royal Leopard, while his team insisted they had no reason to panic about the player. Highlanders won the Bible Society Cup in his absentia over the weekend after edging Manzini Wanderers 1-0 in the final at a packed Mavuso Sports Centre.