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‘BIRDS’, SA COSMOS FOR XENOPHOBIA CUP 2017

01/08/2017 04:41:00 BY SABELO GWEBU

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MBABANE – Mbabane Swallows have been invited to another prestigious preseason tournament, this time the Xenophobia Cup 2017 on Sunday.

According to information sourced from SABC News, other teams to feature in the tournament are Jomo Cosmos (South Africa), Bulawayo Highlanders (Zimbabwe) and Simunye Diaspora, a non-professional team of South African-based foreign nationals. The four-team tournament will be played at Vosloorus Stadium in Johannesburg, Cosmos’ home stadium for the new season.

Swallows are fresh from participating in the Prince Mangosuthu Legacy Cup in Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal this past weekend, a tournament that featured the Zululand District Pick Team and Premier Soccer League sides Amazulu and Bloemfontein Celtics.

The Xenophobia Cup is meant at promoting humanity among South Africans and other nationals from across the continent. Scary scenes of attack on foreigners were witnessed in previous years in South Africa, as more nationals seek refugee to what is currently Africa’s second biggest economy.

Swallows boss Victor Gamedze confirmed the invitation to the tournament before hinting on a two-week rest after.
“The players have not had a rest for three seasons now and it will help to give the two weeks away before the start of the season,” he said as he confirmed the tournament.

Jomo Cosmos on the other hand has their sights set on returning to the Absa Premiership in the 2018 and 2019 season. Ezenkosi have returned to the East Rand and will make the Vosloorus Stadium their permanent home again, a place they called home in the 1980s and 90s.

“We are back where we belong and we are happy that the PSL has approved the ground. All along I’ve been playing in the stadium. I got promoted and then I was told I could not play at the stadium because there are no turnstiles, and they were right,” said Jomo Sono, the founder and coach of the club in an interview with SABC.