MBABANE – Are Mbabane Swallows’ ongoing financial troubles threatening to trigger a second wave of player departures?
The capital city giants are still searching for an investor to steady the ship after two seasons of money problems. This is happening against the clock as the new season approaches. Talks with potential investors gathered pace after last season ended, but those negotiations have not reached finality, leaving players in limbo.
‘Birds’ financial difficulties first emerged in the 2024/25 campaign and were linked to the club’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League run, which ended with a second preliminary-round defeat to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
In the January 2025 transfer window, Swallows cut their squad size and placed some high-earning regulars on the transfer list such as Kwakhe Tfwala. The move was said to be aimed at reducing an unaffordable monthly wage bill from around E271 000 to about E170 000.
However, a fresh exodus now looks likely. Sources say about half of the squad’s contracts expired at the end of the 2025/26 season and the club is struggling to convince them to commit to new contracts. The major letdown is the fulfilment of the financial obligation of team. Towards the end of the past campaign, players were reportedly receiving allowances at some time, as the club struggled to pay their wages.
Some sources say some key players are willing to stay at ‘Birds’ nest, but feel they cannot bear the situation any longer. The biggest name linked with an exit is long-serving goalkeeper Sandanezwe ‘Sanda’ Mathabela, who has been at the club for eight seasons.
“He is very close to joining MTN Premier League-bound Pigg’s Peak Professionals. He has been given a contract and the deal is about 70 per cent done,” a source at Professionals said.
The MulaSport National First Division (NFD) side is allegedly to be treading carefully out of respect for Swallows’ situation, while still hoping ‘Birds’ can turn a corner.
Earlier this week, this publication also reported that Moneni Pirates are interested in Umkhonto KaShaka’s skilful winger Bongi ‘Karas’ Magagula.
Swallows Management Committee (MC) Chairman Bongani ‘AB’ Dlamini confirmed that Mathabela’s contract has expired. He said the goalkeeper has been offered new terms but is yet to respond.
“You sometimes need to understand that money is not the only reason players leave teams. Some simply want a new challenge. But at Swallows, we still pay competitive salaries and remain relevant in the market,” Dlamini said.
He added that players often expect a premium to turn out for Swallows, just as the club faces high price tags when trying to buy new players.
On another note, Pigg’s Peak Professionals’ Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mancoba Khumalo said Mathabela’s name had not featured in their internal discussions. Khumalo said according to the recruitment data and meetings he has attended, there has been no mention of the seasoned goalkeeper’s name.
Worth noting is that Swallows at the start of the week also said they will soon issue a full statement on player movements and technical staff changes. In the meantime, the team have resumed pre-season training while the search for a ‘messiah’ continues.
