PLE SUSPENDS ‘BIRDS’ ‘NCIBA’

MBABANE – Capital city giants Mbabane Swallows have suffered a setback ahead of their next MTN Premier League fixture.

This follows the suspension of the log leaders’ key midfielder, Mancoba ‘Nciba’ Vilakati. He scored a stunning goal in his first Mbabane derby last Sunday, helping his team secure a 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Mbabane Highlanders. His impressive performance earned him the title of Man of the Match. It is noteworthy that ‘Nciba’ has become a mainstay for the ‘Birds’ this season, particularly following the departures of Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini and Sibusiso ‘Niang’ Masuku, who both moved south to join Nsingizini Hotspurs and Rangers, respectively.

Absent

However, according to a correspondence from the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) which was received yesterday, ‘Nciba’ tops the list of six players who will be absent from round eight action. The next league matches are scheduled for the weekend of November 22-23, following the ongoing international break. “In terms of Article 6.2(a) of the MTN Premier League 2024/25 Rules and Regulations, the player is, therefore, automatically suspended from participating in the next match to be played by his team,” reads an extract from the notice.

The rules stipulate that any player who accumulates three yellow cards will face an automatic suspension. In their previous fixture, Swallows were also without Bongi ‘Karas’ Magagula, who was sidelined due to a similar yellow card predicament. Interestingly, on-loan ‘Niang’ will not be available for Rangers to face his former team, as he too is on the list of suspended players.

Meanwhile, five players were suspended in the National First Division (NFD). Pigg’s Peak Black Swallows and Rangers each saw two players suspended due to the yellow card rule, while Tambankulu Celtics have one ‘frozen’ player.

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