THE PERFECT ‘CLASSICO’

MBABANE – Two local football kings in the past decade will come face to face in a mouth-watering winner-takes-all Castle Premier Challenge Cup final this afternoon at Somhlolo National Stadium.

These two teams have won 23 trophies between themselves since 2004.
They might not have the noisy and passionate following associated with all conquering sides, but yes they are currently the Real Madrid and Barcelona of Swazi football.

And their meeting this afternoon at the Mecca of local football is no doubt a dream cup final. They have also gained valuable experience playing in Africa, with Leopard reaching greater heights in the less prestigious CAF Confederations Cup.

The irony of their meeting this afternoon will be tale of the two coaches at the opposite end. In 2003, both ‘Koki’ and ‘Nuro’ featured in the CAF Under-17 Championships won by Cameroon at Somhlolo National Stadium over Sierra Leone. The difference is that Vilakati, who is the incumbent Swallows coach, was the one leading the country’s U-17 side then captained by Ntibane, who was at the time playing for the defunct Simunye FC. This, therefore, makes the tie a clash between a student and his tutor.

However, the above mentioned factor would have little influence in the game, especially because Ntibane has out staged even his seniors since graduating to coaching three seasons ago. He is the most successful coach in the past three years having won six trophies including back-to-back MTN League titles.

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