KYRO AGENCY AIMS TO BOOST PLAYER EXPORTS

MBABANE – A new era is upon local football.

This follows the official launch of the KYRO Sports Agency at the Hilton Garden Inn, just two days ago. The event drew notable attendees, including Darius Dlomo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC), Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe, Marketing and Communications Officer of the Eswatini Football Association (EFA), Pat Vilakati, Acting CEO of the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), along with Acting Football Manager Banele Masondo and representatives from various teams.

During the proceedings, KYRO Director Mhlonishwa Shiba expressed disappointment that former Ajax Cape Town player Mkhanyiseni Siwahla could not attend the launch as anticipated. Shiba articulated his concerns regarding the insufficient presence of Eswatini players in professional leagues. “It pains me that the country has only one player, Justice ‘Figa’ Figueirado, currently active in the lucrative Betway Premiership in South Africa,” he stated. While acknowledging that players such as Mxolisi ‘Kudus’ Mkhonto (Botswana), Lindo Mkhonta (Zambia) and Banele ‘Stiga’ Ndzabandza (Botswana) have been exported, he stressed that more effort is essential.

Assist

“Our primary objective is to assist our players in making wise investments when they receive offers from abroad,” Shiba asserted. He highlighted the necessity of shifting local players’ focus away from solely aspiring to join security forces teams. “If a player is not nurtured properly, they are unlikely to reach their full potential in the sport. That is why our target market extends beyond our borders, reaching into Europe,” Shiba elaborated. He further revealed that the academy has established a Memorandum of Understanding with South African teams aimed at player development and has already identified several promising individuals.

“We urge teams to actively engage in this initiative as we strive to elevate the standards of football in the country. We also request the PLE to reconsider the establishment of a development league,” he added.Meanwhile, EFA President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane, represented by Radebe, conveyed his support for the programme. “We support all stakeholders who are actively involved in developing football in Eswatini,” Radebe affirmed. Sifiso Shabalala, Chairman of the Parliament Sports Portfolio Committee, described the launch as a dream come true.

effective

“We have been diligently seeking effective ways to utilise the players identified through our talent search programmes,” Shabalala remarked. Eswatini’s International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)-accredited Agent Dingane Maduma, now part of the KYRO team, encouraged clubs to release players for assessments when requested.  I have established connections in Europe for young players, and we will announce the identified players in due course,” Maduma concluded.

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