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SD MISSES OUT ON FIFA’S E700 000 GRANT

18/01/2017 07:31:00 BY LWAZI DLAMINI

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MBABANE – Swaziland has continuously missed out on a US$50 000 (E700 000) grant from the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) by failing to provide a comprehensive master fixture programme for its premier league division.

The Times Sports Desk has exclusively gathered that failure by Swaziland, in the case the Premier League of Swaziland (PLS), to provide a master fixture with dates, venues and kick-off times well in advance for its premier league competition has robbed the country a grant of E700 000 on a yearly basis.

FIFA, the world football governing body, gives the grant through its Independent Ethics Committee, to all member associations whose league competitions programme is spelt out well in advance with the correct dates, venues and kick-off times.

An informed source at the National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) Executive Committee told the Times Sports Desk that some of the countries who have benefitted are the likes of the English Premier League, Spanish LaLiga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A and many top leagues in the world, including the neighbouring South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PLS).

“Basically, what we have is scheduled fixtures, which are released week by week. This makes it hard for us to qualify for such a grant as it touches on issues of integrity,” he said.

The source further revealed that the NFAS, which held its retreat over the past weekend, is already making plans to appoint its own subsidiary committee named the ‘Ethics Committee’ like FIFA, in an effort to address a number of issues, including the master fixture.

“The Ethics Committee will be made up of people of high standing in society and who should have a legal background. For instance, the FA may suspend a member for two years but FIFA might join and feel that perhaps that person deserves a life-ban, especially for matters that touch on ethical codes and integrity,” the source added.