PLE SEEDING HEADACHE FOR ‘WESLIANS’

MBABANE – Will Wanderers play in the Ingwenyama Cup?

This is a question many are asking themselves after the 2024/25 Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents (SMVAF) Fund-sponsored Ingwenyama Cup’s official launch. This year’s edition, which saw an increased package of E3 million, was launched about two weeks ago at Nkhanini at Lobamba. Ingwenyama Cup Chairman Prince Hlangabeza announced a sponsorship of E15 million to be disbursed over three years. The tournament will kick off on Saturday at the regions where the Last 64 teams will compete. The subsequent round of matches will take place on December 14-15, featuring the last 32 teams, while the Last 16 stage in the regions is set for the weekend of December 28-29. Outstanding regional teams will qualify for the main tournament.

The question remains whether Manzini Wanderers will participate in the annual tournament, as they are yet to engage in a competitive match this season. The ‘Weslians’ last featured in the 2024 8Bet Trade Fair Cup, where they were eliminated in the early rounds of the competition. The maroon and white hub giants are currently involved in a relegation court battle with rivals Denver Sundowns, who are already playing in the MTN National First Division (NFD). The eight-month-old saga started when Wanderers lodged a protest over Sundowns defender Jimoh Moses, alleging that he had no valid work permit during their relegation six-pointer match at Somhlolo National Stadium, on May 19, 2024. The matter is pending at the Supreme Court. Usually during the preliminary round draw of the main tournament, the teams from the Premier League and the National First Division are seeded according to their standings at the end of the first round of the current season.

Hurdle

This ensures that ‘big guns’ do not face off in the first hurdle. At this point, it is not known which division Wanderers belong to. The tournament’s Competition Committee Chairman Doctor Comfort Shongwe, when quizzed on whether the team will be part of the tournament, disclosed that they were currently in the dark. “We are not sure; it will be the Premier League of Eswatini that will submit the list of the participating clubs,” he briefly answered. The Chairman of the Mlamuli ‘Mlaba’ Nkambule-captained side, Wellington Motsa, on the other hand, said all teams who were affiliated to the PLE are eligible to play in the tournament.

“The PLE, according to my understanding, is not fighting us and we are looking forward to participating in the Ingwenyama Cup, as we played in the Trade Fair Cup,” Motsa said.
He disclosed that the players were busy at training waiting to be fixtured by the PLE in any of their competitions. Meanwhile, PLE Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pat ‘Kungumusa’ Vilakati could not be reached for comments as he promised to call back this reporter. He was called again at 2:45pm, but his phone rang unanswered.

It is worth mentioning that the Ingwenyama Cup is played by the regional champions, who then join both the NFD and Premier League teams in the main tournament. Green Mamba are the reigning champions after beating Mbabane Swallows 1-0 in the finals, which were graced by the presence of His Majesty King Mswati III, at Somhlolo National Stadium.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: