‘KATI’ RESIGNS AT ‘BIRDS’

MBABANE – All good things come to an end.

This is the story of Mbabane Swallows goalkeeper Qiniso ‘Kati’ Nyawo, who has resigned from the capital city giants ahead of their game against Nsingizini Hotspurs tomorrow at King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium. According to a source within the Caleb Ngwenya-led team, the former Swallows development player submitted his resignation yesterday morning.

This decision reportedly stems from the goalkeeper’s alleged strained relationship with goalkeeper coach, Bright ‘komari’ Nxumalo. This publication reported last week that ‘Kati’ was issued with a warning and further suspended for reportedly misconduct.

Absent

The 2023 PLE Trade Fair Cup goalkeeper of the tournament has been absent from Swallows squad in the last five games. His last involvement with the team was early last month during an MTN Premier League match against Denver Sundowns at Mavuso Sports Centre, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

“Regarding this matter, I can confirm that Qiniso Nyawo has resigned from Mbabane Swallows with immediate effect. I appreciate your interest in the situation, but I am unable to provide any further information at this time,” the source said. Another source confided to this publication that the goalkeeper had not received his January salary, yet the rest of the players received theirs on Thursday afternoon.

When approached for comment yesterday, ‘Kati’ confirmed the latest developments and expressed gratitude towards the team for their support during his time at the club, from his development days onwards. “It is indeed a bittersweet moment for me, as I have a deep affection for Mbabane Swallows. I’m grateful to the club’s president, governor, players and supporters, who have all treated me like a brother. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the team for their support during my time as a player and I thank them for helping me grow from a development player into a professional. Lastly, I would like to thank the supporters for their love and support, despite my limited game time. I wish the team the best of luck for the remainder of the season,” Nyawo said.

Setback

In 2022, ‘Kati’ faced a temporary setback when he was released from the team, but he was later given an opportunity to prove himself once again. He initially joined the club in 2013, at the age of 11, and was later promoted to the senior team.  This promotion came after his impressive performance in the development team, where he won numerous domestic trophies alongside players like Sizolwethu ‘Nunu’ Shabalala, Richard McCreesh and Bongiswa ‘Romario’ Dlamini.

The shot-stopper becomes the second player to resign from the club, following Banele ‘Pupu’ Sikhondze, who resigned last year. Pupu, a long-time favourite among Swallows supporters, subsequently joined traditional rivals Mbabane Highlanders for a reported fee of E80 000 after serving Swallows for over a decade. Swallows Public Relations Officer (PRO) Knowledge Ngwenya could not be reached for comments by the time this report was compiled.

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