MBABANE — Six established senior players are yet to play in the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup.
They are set to make their debuts during the third edition, which will run from August 30 to September 6, 2026. These players have spent the past two seasons on their respective clubs’ books without featuring in this tournament due to commitments with the senior men’s national team, Sihlangu Semnikati.
Over the past two seasons, the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup coincided with international assignments, which effectively ruled out those players who made the final Sihlangu squad for this tournament that sets the tone for the domestic football calendar.
However, with no national team fixtures scheduled for the upcoming window, top-flight clubs will have their full squads available without any selection headaches. Only last season’s finalists, Nsingizini Hotspurs and Green Mamba, must navigate a congested fixture list as they balance the Trade Fair Cup alongside their Confederation of African Football (CAF) inter-club commitments. The absence of Sihlangu activities this time around following early exit in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers has opened the door for high-profile names to taste Trade Fair Cup action for the first time. The defending champions, Nsingizini, are set to feature defender Nkosingiphile ‘Skomota’ Shongwe, having missed his services in both the 2024 and 2025 editions due to national team duty.
In addition, Young Buffaloes deputy captain and pacey winger Bongwa ‘Logwaja’ Matsebula is in line for a maiden appearance. However, his participation remains subject to his ongoing army recruitment training at Mbuluzi.
Royal Leopard will also see their duo of Gift ‘Jobe’ Gamedze and Simanga ‘Stina’ Masangane get a feel for the tournament after previous call-ups repeatedly clashed with the annual competition, boosting the police side’s ambition to bounce back from a difficult past season.
Meanwhile, last year’s semi-finalists, Manzini Sea Birds, will hand debuts to two key players. These are midfielder-turned-defender Mpendulo Tfomo and Philani ‘Mkasabuli’ Mkhonto, who was a standout performer in domestic football last season. The tournament’s history of scheduling clashes also means some notable names departed for foreign leagues without ever featuring in the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup. Former Mbabane Swallows Captain Newman Philiso, alongside the Nsingizini trio of Kwakhe Tfwala, Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini and Thubelihle Mavuso, all moved to clubs in Zimbabwe without playing a single match in the competition. Similarly, Leopard skipper Junior Magagula transferred to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) without an appearance to his name.
As the 16 top-flight clubs finalise their squads with new signings ahead of the opening whistle, the E3 million showpiece boasts even more lucrative prizes following an increased financial injection of E500 000 for this campaign.
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