KWAKHE SIGNS OVER 2-YEAR ‘BIRDS’ DEAL

MBABANE – A ‘Young Buffalo’ has grown wings.

Army side Young Buffaloes have lost the services of talented left back Kwakhe Thwala to Mbabane Swallows. The senior national team, Sihlangu, star had reported his former club to the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Player’s Status Committee (PSC) as he wanted to leave the club and join Swallows before the initial second transfer window deadline last Friday was extended. Thwala won the case and was declared a free agent.

The Mbabane giants acted swiftly to offer him a two-and-a-half-year contract, which he signed. It is understood that the deal involved a hefty signing-on fee for the player who joined ex-Manzini Wanderers and Sihlangu midfielder Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini at the red and white Beautiful Birds in this window. ‘Tiger’ has already played his debut match against Moneni Pirates and scored one of the two goals. Thwala is expected to make his debut against tricky rookies Nsingizini Hotspurs tomorrow in Nhlangano at the King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium. Swallows were beaten in the first round, 2-1 was the final score.

“Kwakhe is a good player and we are happy to have him at Mbabane Swallows. He signed our contract yesterday and he is now officially our player for two and half seasons,” an impeccable source at Swallows said.
Meanwhile, Buffaloes Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sandile Gwebu said Buffaloes would still continue to produce more good players like Thwala.

“Young Buffaloes are known for producing the best development players and the departure of a player like Kwakhe is no train smash because we will continue producing more players who are better in quality like him. We are not worried about losing him but we are worried of the way he left the team. In life you don’t burn your bridges for you to cross them,’’ he said. Gwebu went on to say that the manner in which Swallows recruited players lately was wrong, but wished the player well in his future endeavours.

“The way they sign players nowadays is very wrong and in the spirit of fair play, it should not be done. One thing I can say to Kwakhe is that I wish him the best of luck and on a personal level I feel betrayed by what he did because we have raised him here at Buffaloes, but he is still a young player who will learn,” he said while also explaining that Thwala could not have been immediately offered a job in the army ahead of others who came before him, but he was in line.

Swallows’ General Manager (GM) Sandile ‘Beyond 2000’ Zwane refuted the Buffaloes claims of unfair dealings in the recruitment of the player. “Kwakhe is officially our player for two and half years after he signed following the EFA Player’s Status Committee (PSC)verdict. We never send any player to the EFA Committee but it is the players who go there with their own lawyers,” he responded while declining to comment about the figures involved.
Thwala is a product of Buffaloes development together with elite players in Highlanders Lindani ‘Rio’ Matsenjwa, Nsingizini Hotspurs’ Meshack Lushaba and Moneni Pirates’ Sphesihle Nsimbini, among others.

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