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WHAT A FOOTBALL INJUSTICE

27/02/2015 07:29:00 BY LWAZI DLAMINI

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An injured fan being taken away during the derby mayhem at Somhlolo National Stadium. (File Pic)

MBABANE – The verdict by the Vusi Maziya-led National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) Disciplinary Committee that the December 7, 2014 Mbabane derby be replayed has laid bare the dark side of local football for all to see.

Those who have followed local game for years now need no reminder of how dirty the politics of the game are and how they stole the beautiful game. We all know how one team has benefited over years by having their officials littered in the football corridors of power – and at high government offices - subverting the truth, shifting the goal-posts and getting favours even from match officials.

This status quo is as old as the game itself. As a result, some of the dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists who support this team, invariably believe football belongs to them – and the rest can go fly a kite. The shift in the balance of power, in particular with the advent of the Premier League of Swaziland (PLS) Board of Governors and Executive Committee – under a new structure – has been a pain in their posterior.

For years, they have made numerous attempts to bring back football “in our hands” through a Management Committee where they can then put their own people in place to run the Premier League of Swaziland (PLS). They just cannot accept that this is not 1980 – it’s 2015 and things change. They are new role players in the landscape of Swazi football. It is giving them sleepless nights. For all I care, they can go drown in the nearest pond. Football is not them. It is the people’s game.

In the chamber of chaos that is the South African Parliament, that enfant terrible Julius Malema cries about ‘bring back our money’ to Msholozi, they are crying about ‘bring back our football’ to the PLS, directed mainly to its chairman Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze, the persona-non-grata of local football.

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Comments (3 posted):

Fix M Gama on 27/02/2015 10:04:03

This is disgusting! The writing was on the wall though. Note how Swallows were fined E50,000 in the same game for comparatively minor offences but Highlanders have escaped blame for something very serious. Subsequent to that game their knife wielding fan got a slap on the wrist with a fine which was partially suspended and their player albeit in a different competition got a reprimand for unsporting behaviour of injuring, not one, but two players who had to go off the pitch! It deserves COSAFA, CAF or even FIFA intervention. #sicktothe stomach#

Thiago on 27/02/2015 13:59:52

what's your point mr. editor. who is to blame. the events prior to the derby were clear to be anti-football and that was done by the so called people of 2015. now that things are not their way, it's only time you see foul play. those people of 2015 were defeated in the battle of power. and yes it's not good for football but they are the ones who failed to play the game on a flat ground and those are consequences.

Goodman Simelane on 27/02/2015 20:00:52

We know for a fact that the author of this article supports Mbabane Swallows and there is nothing good he can write about Mbabane Highlanders.We don't need your sympathy Mr.Dlamini.If you feel that football has been raped just go to the nearest police station.