Times Of Swaziland: FOLLOWING DAMAGE ON SOMHLOLO TRACK: PLE WITHHOLDS ‘BULL’S E100K

FOLLOWING DAMAGE ON SOMHLOLO TRACK: PLE WITHHOLDS ‘BULL’S E100K
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Machawe Fakudze on 25/11/2022 06:51:00


MBABANE – The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) has not released to Mbabane
Highlanders their E100 000 prize for reaching the 2022 inaugural MoMo Cup
semi-finals.
The black and white capital city giants were eliminated by Moneni Pirates in the
second semi-finals after penalties. The ‘Sea Robbers’ of Moneni went on to
lose the finals to rookies Nsingizini Hotspurs, who brushed aside MTN National
First Division side Rangers in the first semi-finals.
The PLE, through the office of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kenneth
Makhanya, in a breakfast meeting with sports journalists from all of the
country’s media houses, which was held at Sigwaca House yesterday, revealed
that they withheld the Dumsani ‘DU’ Makhanya-led side’s E100 000 as they
were assessing the cost of the damage done by the team on the Somhlolo National
Stadium synthetic track.
“We have decided not to give Mbabane Highlanders their E100 000 pending the
issue of damaging the Somhlolo National Stadium synthetic track,” Makhanya
said. The newly-installed synthetic running track at the revamped and still
under construction Somhlolo National Stadium is nothing less than E3 million
before installation. The CEO was speaking about the challenge his office faced
in terms of the availability of playing venues, when he touched that the
‘Mecca’ of Eswatini football was currently out of bounds for the MTN Premier
League games, due to the damage on the running track. It was gathered that
during the inaugural MoMo Cup 2022 early this month, the venue’s terms and
conditions were breached, particularly relating to the running track. Reports
suggested  that after capital city giants and tournament favourites Highlanders
were booted out, their supporters could not stomach it.
Blocked
They blocked the team from exiting the dressing rooms. They had to use emergency
and safe exit from the stadium. Their Manager Simiso ‘Space’ Jele drove
their Sprinter bus into the pitch area, on the running track to pick up the team
and drove out in high speed. It was at that moment that the damage could have
happened on the track. Highlanders Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mandla
Madonsela could not comment as he requested to reserve his comments until
something formal about this issue reached his office.