VOTE FOR CHAIR WITH BUSINESS ACUMEN – EX-PLE BOSS

MBABANE – Former founding member of the PLE, Celani Shongwe, feels the elite football office needs a chairman with an understanding of the soccer ecosystem.

Shongwe, who possesses valuable experience in local football, emphasised the critical importance of voting for a Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) chairman with the appropriate expertise to effectively navigate the complexities of soccer governance and ensure the growth and success of the league. 

In an interview with this publication yesterday, he shared his insights on the upcoming PLE Executive Committee (ExCo) elections, specifically the race for the chairman position. With the election scheduled for this Saturday, he highlighted the critical role of selecting a leader with a comprehensive understanding of the soccer ecosystem to ensure that the PLE achieved long-term success and continued growth.

“I believe that the incoming chairman must prioritise improving the management and sustainability of our top teams in the country. Our football authorities need to recognise that consuming our own product is essential for the long-term success of Eswatini football. Therefore, we need to elect a chairman with strong business acumen, who can implement lasting solutions to the issues that are hindering the growth of our sport,” he shared.
The former scribe expressed his concern about the significant expenditures of Eswatini Premier League clubs on replicas, which should be internally traded within the league. Shongwe highlighted that the practice of exchanging replicas instead of cash could be detrimental to the financial health of the clubs, as well as the overall financial stability of the league.

Shop

“The Premier League of Eswatini could potentially establish a centralised sports shop owned by the participating clubs, which would provide a more sustainable revenue stream for the teams. Such a model would enable the teams to consume their own products, ensuring that the profits generated from merchandise sales remain within the league and are not externalised. Moreover, the establishment of a PLE-owned sports shop could serve as a valuable source of income for the clubs, helping to alleviate their current financial difficulties and contributing to the overall growth of football in the country,” Shongwe said.

Shongwe also emphasised the critical need for a chairman who possesses a thorough understanding of the soccer ecosystem and can device strategies that ensure that the participants, including players, coaches and administrators, can sustain themselves and thrive within Eswatini’s football system. The former top agent also opined that the incoming PLE chairman should be vested with the authority, to make a decisive ruling regarding the fate of Manzini Wanderers.

“The limited number of games played by Eswatini football players, is a major concern for the development of the sport in our country. Ideally, players should participate in more than 40 games per year, to maintain a high level of performance and fitness. Unfortunately, the small size of the teams in our domestic leagues, prevents our players from reaching this number of games, putting them at a significant disadvantage compared to their counterparts in other countries,” he lamented.

The TS Galaxy’s representative in the country declined to disclose his voting preference in the media, stating that he had a specific individual in mind, whom he believed would be best suited to lead the PLE and contribute to the development of the league. However, he emphasised that the identity of his preferred candidate would remain private, as he did not wish to influence the election through public endorsement.

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