MBABANE – Clarified!
This is the issue surrounding the timing of the annual Trade Fair Cup, which usually clashes with continental tournaments, as witnessed in the recently-concluded competition.
The E3 million 8Bet Trade Fair Cup was won by Moneni Pirates after they beat Mbabane Highlanders 4-2 on penalties in the final played at a packed Mavuso Sports Centre on Sunday.
The clash saw the country’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup envoys, Green Mamba, play 450 minutes of football non-stop.
They played five games in four days, with 80 per cent in the Trade Fair Cup and one in the CAF Confederation Cup against Angolan side Agosto. They lost the match 2-0 at Somhlolo National Stadium.
The Correctional Services side, after playing that match on Saturday, rushed to Mavuso Sports Centre to face Moneni Pirates and were in action again on Sunday in the losers’ final against Young Buffaloes.
Clarifying the issue, Premier League of Eswatini Chairman Polycarp Dlamini said that, as an organisation, they cannot change the schedule of the tournament. “This tournament is held during Umhlanga and during the Trade Fair. It is a tournament that is not in the PLE calendar, as some clubs are crying foul,” Dlamini said.
He said teams were accommodated as they sat down with the clubs and agreed that they could use eight players from the amateur leagues as per the rules of the tournament. This rule raised eyebrows in some clubs as they felt it was killing the standard of the sport and the tournament.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Green Mamba, who played more games in fewer days without complaining,” he said.
The former Mbabane Midas City goalkeeper further criticised foreign coaches who expressed concerns over the timing of the tournament, stating that they cannot come here and change how things are done in the country.
“I think if you are a coach coming from another country, you cannot come here and change how things are done here,” the chairman said.
He further stated that even national team players do not participate in this tournament when they are involved in international competitions.
On this year’s edition, Dlamini said it was a competitive tournament as some matches were decided on penalties.
Leave a comment