MBABANE – The country’s football Mecca is already fully booked and will not be available for Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) fixtures for at least two consecutive weeks.
Its unavailability this coming weekend has already forced the two capital city giants, Mbabane Highlanders AM and Mbabane Swallows, to seek alternative venues for their week-three MTN Premier League matches.
Highlanders and Swallows, according to the PLE master fixture, were originally due to co-host at Somhlolo. The first match was to see the ‘Birds’ take on Madlenya, while the second one was to pit the ‘Bull’ against Royal Leopard.
‘Umkhonto KaShaka’, however, have now opted to host their game at Killarney Sports Ground, co-hosting with Pigg’s Peak Black Swallows who will play Green Mamba. Meanwhile, the ‘Bull’ have opted to host Leopard at Mayaluka Stadium.
The PLE Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pat ‘Kungumusa’ Vilakati, has explained that the national stadium will be off-limits for league events for two weeks. Vilakati said Somhlolo is expected to host the Sicojeni Foundation’s 10th End Hunger Walk on Sunday.
The following week, it is earmarked as the main venue for the country’s premier road race, the Imbube Marathon. The eighth edition of the Imbube Marathon will be staged on Saturday, October 17, starting and finishing at Somhlolo.
“The stadium is booked for events in the coming two weeks, and we are also facing a challenge with the Prince of Wales Sports Ground, as it is still being upgraded after a long season,” Vilakati said.
He also highlighted that the Mavuso Sports Centre turf is recovering after hosting the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup tournament for a week.
It is worth noting that the venue has been a preferred ground this season for several reasons, despite its booking cost. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, utilising the venue costs E10 000.
It is one of the safest and most secure stadiums in the country, helping the PLE and clubs avoid any fan violence. Furthermore, it is convenient for the capital city giants’ fan bases because of the affordable cost of travelling to and from it.
That convenience has seen it host games in every match week of the PLE season so far, not only for the MTN Premier League but also for MulaSport National First Division (NFD) fixtures. Interestingly, it was not expected to host any games next weekend
