BIG DERBY DILEMMA

MBABANE – Anticipation is brewing, as football fans eagerly await Eswatini’s mother of all derbies.

While the Week 7 complete fixture is yet to be released, the clash is likely to take place on November 9 at Mavuso Sports Centre. Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Petros ‘Pat’ Vilakati confirmed the venue during the Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) Sportshow with host Siphesihle ‘Sihlabani’ Nxumalo, two days ago.

“It is no secret that the country does not have adequate playing venues. Nevertheless, such a game cannot be played on open ground. We keep our fingers crossed that Mavuso will be available for this fixture,” he said. In contrast, the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) break is set to start from November 11 to 15. The dates suggest that Sihlangu will have already left the kingdom for their games, where they will continue with their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers. They will host Guinea-Bissau and then visit Mali days later. Sihlangu currently occupy the last spot in their Group I standings in this tournament, with only one point after four games played.

Massive

Head Coach Zdravko Logarusic is still to announce his squad for the tournament. However, if he opts to call up some players from both giants, this will have an effect on this massive fixture. The Croatian gaffer earlier expressed his concern about his players having to compete in numerous games within a short span. He further stated that this leaves his troops fatigued, while still needing to compete. Logarusic has requested that the national team be given priority when they have to play. Swallows won 3-2 in their last Premier League clash with Highlanders, which took place on May 5, this year. Umkhonto KaShaka are in form, securing five wins and suffering one defeat in their current league defending campaign. Nevertheless, Inkunz’emnyama, as Highlanders are affectionately known, had a rocky start to the season.

They are just one spot above the relegation zone, with four points after suffering three losses. The side will visit Young Buffaloes at Mkhuzweni Technical Centre for their sixth game, next Wednesday. The game was rescheduled as Buffaloes have many of their players selected for Sihlangu. With Somhlolo still not meeting the strict requirements set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Sihlangu will once again play their home match away. The game is set for Mbombela Stadium at 6pm. Vilakati stated that they are still to confirm when Sihlangu will play their games before making a decision regarding league fixtures. “We are aware that the FIFA break will start on November 11. However, we still need to confirm when Sihlangu will play their games. Thereafter, we will align ourselves with those dates regarding the league.”

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