MBABANE – The PLE has created a fixture headache by scheduling the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup alongside Eswatini’s CAF commitments.
The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) appears to be heading for a collision with Confederation of African Football (CAF) regulations after scheduling the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup during the same period as the first preliminary rounds of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. CAF’s position on such clashes is clearly outlined in its official CAF Inter-club Competitions Regulations, Chapter III – Fixtures and Format of the Competition, Article 5.1 (Priority Over Regional & Other Fixtures).
Article 5.1 states: “In case of a clash of dates between CAF matches and other matches organised on a regional, sub-regional basis or matches organised on special occasions, priority shall be given to the matches of CAF.”
This is where the latest comments from PLE chairman Polycarp Dlamini become significant. Dlamini has acknowledged the fixture clash involving the two CAF envoys, Nsingizini Hotspurs and Green Mamba, but said the clubs must plan accordingly to accommodate participation in both competitions.
The PLE chairman’s position, as reported during the presentation of the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup kits, is that the two continental representatives must find a way of participating in both the domestic tournament and their CAF assignments.
The Times of Eswatini reported on August 22 that Dlamini had clarified the fixture-clash issue involving the two clubs. This stance, however, raises a question when measured against CAF’s own regulations, which expressly provide for CAF matches to take priority when their dates clash with other competitions.
The issue is particularly significant because the PLE has already confirmed that the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup is aligned with the Eswatini International Trade Fair calendar. Dlamini said the tournament was intended to promote players and entertain supporters, while confirming that a new three-year agreement would keep the competition running through 2031.
Green Mamba, Eswatini’s CAF Confederation Cup representatives, are scheduled to face Red Rhinos in the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup Last 16 on September 1. Should they progress, they are scheduled to play their quarter-final on September 3, with the semi-finals set for September 5.
The problem is that September 5 is also the date of Green Mamba’s CAF Confederation Cup first-leg assignment against Angolan giants 1º de Agosto, creating a direct domestic and continental clash. The return leg in Angola falls within CAF’s September 11-13 return-leg window.
Green Mamba Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ntuthuko Dlamini confirmed that the club is aware of the CAF regulations, but said they intend to participate in both competitions while awaiting guidance from the PLE should the clash materialise.
“We are aware of the CAF rules. We will play and see if we progress, and if there is a fixture clash, we will get guidance from the PLE,” Dlamini said.
He added that the club’s immediate focus was on its CAF assignment before dealing with any potential domestic fixture conflict. “Our focus is to go and play. If there is a fixture clash, then we will get guidance,” he said.
Nsingizini Hotspurs face an even bigger scheduling headache. The defending 8Bet Trade Fair Cup champions are scheduled to play Madlenya in the Last 16 on August 30. Should they progress, they are due to play their quarter-final on September 3, semi-final on September 5 and the final on September 6.
However, Nsingizini are also involved in the CAF Champions League, where they have been drawn against Zimbabwean champions Scottland.
Their first-leg fixture falls within the September 4-6 CAF window, while the second leg will be played between September 11 and 13. This creates the possibility of Nsingizini having to play the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup final on September 6, while simultaneously being committed to their CAF Champions League first leg, which is the same day for the CAF clash in Zimbabwe.
The contradiction becomes even more striking because CAF’s regulations do not require a club to choose between continental and domestic football. The regulations establish that CAF matches take priority when there is a clash.
The responsibility would, therefore, appear to fall on the domestic competition organisers to adjust the local fixture rather than expecting a CAF representative to compromise its continental assignment. Green Mamba’s Dlamini, however, has indicated that his club is prepared to play both competitions and seek guidance from the PLE if the clash materialises.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comment from Nsingizini Hotspurs PRO Sibusiso ‘Mnotfo’ Dlamini were unsuccessful at the time of going to press. The Eswatini Football Association (EFA), which oversees the enforcement of CAF rules in the country, could not be drawn for comment on the issue. “CAF dates are confirmed by CAF and the trade fair ones by the PLE. The two bodies finalise the fixtures,” that was all EFA Communications and Marketing Manager Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe could say.
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