BY MACHAWE FAKUDZE AND NIMROD HLOPHE
MBABANE – Total blackout!
This was the reality for the national Under-23 men’s squad’s do-or-die TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Malawi, which was played at Somhlolo National Stadium on Tuesday and left off live television.
Despite Eswatini advancing to the next round of the qualifiers on a 2-1 aggregate score, setting up a second-round hurdle against Algeria on the journey to Egypt next year, and local viewers missed out on live coverage.
A source close to the matter revealed that Eswatini TV was barred from broadcasting or capturing clips of the fixture after the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) allegedly demanded E80 000 for TV rights.
“The broadcaster was left empty-handed after failing to meet the financial requirements set by the football mother body for live coverage rights,” the source alleged. The source also alleged that the EFA demanded E30 000 from the station to take clips of the match for future programmes if they failed to pay the full E80 000.
The national broadcaster’s sports crew were spotted sitting in the media tribune for the entire 90 minutes of the match, with their working tools placed idly by their sides.
The strict stance adopted by the EFA meant football fans across the kingdom missed out on live television updates and video highlights of the crucial encounter as the young side carried national hopes.
EFA Marketing and Communications Manager Muzi ‘Rhoo’ Radebe said they engaged the station regarding the live broadcasting rights because they wanted to give them the first opportunity as the national broadcaster.
“We wanted to prioritise and give them the opportunity to broadcast the game because they are a national broadcaster,” Radebe said.
He added that such an opportunity comes with numerous benefits, including selling feeds to other broadcasters or generating revenue through adverts, which could have benefitted the station.
Meanwhile, Eswatini TV Senior Marketing and Communications Officer Nomcebo Malinga said Eswatini TV was not in a position to broadcast the Eswatini versus Malawi Under-23 match on Tuesday due to prior national live event commitments, although engagements with the EFA were held.
“However, we wish to reiterate that as the national broadcaster, Eswatini TV fully supports and believes in the broadcasting of local football, including national team games,” Malinga said.
She further revealed that the station remains committed to working with the EFA to find a workable model for future broadcasts of national team matches in the interest of the nation.
The friction between national sports associations and state broadcasters over TV rights is a wider continental struggle. In neighbouring South Africa, rights valuations by the South African Football Association (SAFA) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) range from E30 million to over E150 million annually, with single matches frequently valued at around E5 million. This steep pricing structure has regularly triggered public broadcaster blackouts amid budgetary constraints.
