KHANYA THE BEST, WE’LL AWARD HIM - ALLY

MBABANE – “He is currently the best in the country.”

This is one of the posts from social media platform, Facebook yesterday as fans reacted to the MTN Premier League Awards.
This line was directed to the Best Goalkeeper Award which many had thought was deserved by Shabalala after 16 clean sheets amid playing every game. His team was also competing for the title until late in the second round. Highlanders finished fourth in the league last season.
The gong went to league runners-up Young Buffaloes goalkeeper Mlungisi Nxumalo, who took home the E9 000 cheque on Wednesday at SibaneSami Hotel in Ezulwini where the awarding ceremony was held.

Facebook was abuzz since Wednesday lamenting the awardees, especially the Golden Glove Award which it is alleged the Awards Committee had given it to Shabalala for his 16 clean sheets and ensuring his team was the least conceding the entire season. Some fans felt Shabalala had the numbers in his favour and deserved it without competition while few others congratulated Nxumalo for taking it home while still acknowledging the Highlanders shot stopper’s achievements.

Discussed

The issue was discussed on various pages like Sports Update with Phathizwe and Menganyosi Mabuza Jr’s, among others. As it unfolded, one fan wrote that the goalkeeper was currently the best in the country and deserved the award. Another wrote, ‘Sihlangu call-up evidence enough he deserved award’ while another user wrote; “Congrats to Mlungisi, you deserve it and hard luck to Khanyakwezwe.” Meanwhile, Highlanders Managing Director (MD) Chief Ally Kgomongwe expressed his disappointment on Thursday.

“What happened? Who won? I’m laughing my lungs out right now and please state it that I laughed first. I mean this is a joke. I’m sure we’re not the only ones at Highlanders who believe in Khanyakwezwe as the best goalkeeper at the moment in the entire Eswatini. He deserves gold and we’ll give it to him and all our players who worked their socks off last season to get us in the top four,” Kgomongwe responded when he learnt that Shabalala didn’t win the award.

He said inasmuch as this was destabilising for players, he would ensure that Shabalala remained calm and passionate about the game by giving him his deserved Best Goalkeeper Award. “We are definitely motivated to award our own players under the circumstances. We believe that stars like Mpendulo Tfomo and Philani Mkhonto will be recognised during last season, but they didn’t even win Player of the Month yet we all saw them and their talent they’re about to be assessed by South African teams,” Kgomongwe said. Also sharing his disappointment on the awards was former Mbabane Swallows and Ezulwini United coach and physical trainer Siyabonga Bhembe. 

“I didn’t believe it when I learnt about it but I don’t know how this works. What is sad is that Khanyakwezwe was called about the award before another call later on saying the contrary which means there was a change somewhere on the award,” Bhembe who is linked with a return to his former employers claimed. There was no immediate comment from Shabalala who turned down Sihlangu camp due to family commitments.

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