MBABANE – It is a mathematical riddle.
That is for having more teams in a tournament but shrinking the bill. The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), in partnership with the tournament’s Management Committee and key stakeholders, has managed to do just that, slashing administration costs for the Ingwenyama Cup despite an increase in the number of its participating clubs.
This season, the PLE’s stable grew from 28 to 32 affiliates. Instead of costs rising the direct opposite has happened as the administration budget has been trimmed by E47 000.
These figures apply to the national phase of the prestigious knockout competition, sponsored by the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (SMVAF). The Eswatini Football Association (EFA) is part of this tripartite partnership, where they see the winner of the tournament get the Confederation of African Football (CAF) interclub competition ticket.
In the previous two editions, including last year’s edition, which saw Royal Leopard claim their maiden crown, administration costs were fixed at E300 000.
However, the current rules and regulations, released yesterday, reveal a major drop. Crucially, this belt-tightening has been achieved without touching the prize money, which remains fully intact for the competitors.
The feat is even more impressive considering that the participation fee pot has actually grown to accommodate the 16-team formats in both the MTN Premier League and the MulaSport National First Division (NFD). For the top-flight clubs, the total participation pool has risen to E160 000, up from E140 000 in 2025.
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