G. MAMBA’S MUSA OURS, ‘MANYOVU’ NEXT – ALLY

MBABANE – As the country’s security forces teams once again face a probing challenge by their civil rival teams, led by the ‘Big 3’, the transfer window is proving quite the trigger for the latest spat.

The ‘Big 3’ refers to Mbabane Highlanders, Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Wanderers, who are trading under the Simunye brand, alongside other elite teams like Tambankulu Callies and Moneni Pirates. Highlanders, Swallows and Wanderers as well as Pirates, have all lost marquee players to the three security forces teams ahead of the yet to commence 2022/23 domestic football season. This did not go down well with the teams, as they lost players including big names like the country’s best striker at the moment Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa, Njabulo ‘D4D’ Ndlovu, Mthunzi ‘Chippa’ Motsa (Green Mamba) and Mphumuzo Sangweni (Royal Leopard), while army team Young Buffaloes have not yet signed any big name.

However, with these teams, particularly Green Mamba also having to release some of their stars following the new recruits, the civil teams were going for some of those they think could still add value. “We just signed Green Mamba’s Musa Dlamini after he impressed us with his pace and has the experience so now it’s him and Lekata upfront then our wingers ‘Ben 10’, Mashaba and Bereng as well as ‘Rio’ in midfield alongside Mpendulo Tfomo,” Chief Ally Kgomongwe boldly declared before joking that he would turn his team ‘to a Leopard’.

“Musa was given a two-year deal and he has signed, now a Mbabane Highlanders player. We’re pushing to make another big signing and that’s ‘Manyovu’. I saw the latest news by his team but we want and we will sign him as we have his two-year contract being prepared,” Kgomongwe said.
Questioned if Musa was available for next weekend’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2022/23 preliminary round first leg at home against South Africa’s Royal AM, the Highlanders Managing Director (MD), said they would have loved to have signed him earlier, but the deadline had passed for his registration for this match.

Talent

However he added that should the team manage progress to the next round then they would consider it alongside former Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca and Leopard’s speedy winger Bonginkosi ‘Manyovu’ Dlamini. “Trust me if we get ‘Manyovu’, we will be fine upfront. We have retained our young talent and added some bit of experience with those who left us being ‘Sikhali’ and Papi and those we released,” he said. Asked if he did not fear that players like ‘Manyovu’ could be side lined when he had to face Leopard, he said not under his reign, as this was already what they were trying to change under the Simunye tag. Meanwhile, Musa could not be immediately reached for comment as his cellphone rang unanswered and had not responded to a text message sent to him via WhatsApp. He was once a target for Highlanders in 2011 as well as for Leopard but ended up at Green Mamba after he had topped the scorer’s chart in the league back in 2011 while with Swallows. “Yes but I’m still busy will talk later,” the former Green Mamba striker responded when he was asked if he had indeed signed a two-year deal with Highlanders.

Undecided

‘Manyovu’, on the other hand, said he would talk football issues only next Monday as he was still undecided. Leopard also expect him back but they said that he could be allowed to go only if the teams interested in him met their terms after he snubbed them on Wednesday when they expected to meet and get his response about returning to play for them. The winger is employed as a police officer like most Leopard players.
Green Mamba’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mandla Sibiya did not answer his cellphone when he was sought for comment.

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