STILL NO PRESENTATION FOR PLE U-19 LEAGUE

MBABANE – The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Under-19 league is still awaiting its prize presentation, which is also expected to include a directive for the league’s commencement.

Newly-appointed Acting Football Manager Banele ‘Dings’ Masondo indicated that the presentation was initially planned to occur before the end of September, but it has yet to take place.
It is important to note that the PLE attempted to hold the award ceremony as a ‘curtain-raiser’ for their ordinary general assembly (OGA) on August 10; however, this did not happen for undisclosed reasons. Masondo mentioned that he plans to discuss the situation further with PLE Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pat Vilakati, emphasising that the event is overdue. Masondo explained that a few administrative issues needed to be resolved before a date could be confirmed for the presentation. “We aim to have the presentation close to the kick-off of the league,” he stated. Masondo also hinted at some individual winners, who will receive prizes during the presentation, noting that Rangers had several players who performed exceptionally well.

Netted

According to the PLE’s Activity Report, the league’s top goalscorer is Thembinkhosi Dlamini from Manzini Sea Birds, who netted 15 goals in 13 league matches. Pat Vilakati, the PLE Acting CEO, addressed the delay in the prize presentation, stating that preparations are still underway to finalise the date. “We want to have the presentation alongside the launch of the new season; otherwise, everything is on standby at the moment,” Vilakati explained. He assured that once the date is confirmed, teams will be notified and invited to the presentation and the new season’s launch. He acknowledged the prolonged delay and mentioned that they aim to kick off the league the weekend after Christmas.

Vilakati also discussed the league directive for the upcoming season, particularly regarding the format. He emphasised the importance of maximising player development by extending the league beyond the usual 13 games. “We are still looking into that, but it will also be revealed during the league launch, which will outline new plans for the development league,” he revealed. Meanwhile, Mbabane Swallows Development Manager Mduduzi ‘Mtjuku’ Masilela expressed concerns about the delayed presentation and league directive, stating it has left them uncertain about when to begin their preparations.

“At least we have loaned out most of the players to keep them active in their development. It’s just unfortunate that those who haven’t are not active, and we should have started our preparations as a team by now,” Masilela remarked. He added that he received feedback from Masondo indicating that the league is likely to kick off after the Christmas holidays, with a strong possibility of starting in January next year.

Noteworthy

It is also noteworthy that the recently concluded PLE Under-19 League saw Royal Leopard secure a second consecutive title under the leadership of Coach Sibusiso Fakudze.
The Royal Leopard Under-19 team successfully defended their title, finishing the previous season unbeaten; a remarkable achievement that remains unmatched by other clubs.
The season, which ran from January 17 to May 4, saw Fakudze’s  team win 10 matches, draw two and lose one. The league, held across six venues, featured a total of 13 match days, during which Leopard scored 36 goals, tying with Young Buffaloes, the league’s runners-up.  The army side finished four points shy of matching Leopard’s 32 points in the final game of the season, while Illovo, in their debut season, secured third place with 27 points.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: