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TITLE RACE WILL NOT BE A STROLL IN THE PARK - ‘KOKI’

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MBABANE – Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati is the head that wears the MTN League title crown and he has conceded that the 2017/18 season will not be a stroll in the park last the previous one where his Mbabane Swallows won the title without losing a match in 22 games.
The first round pairing is out and ‘Koki’ said his team has braced itself for a tough competition after their spotless performance in the recently ended season.
He said he was aware that his opponents would not want them to repeat what they achieved last season and that was the reason they were working very hard to beef up their squad to remain as competitive as possible.
“Will the season be easy for us? I do not think so. In fact, we know that it will not be a stroll in the park anymore,” he said.

His team has lost midfield hard man, the indefatigable Kabamba Pappy Tshitshimbi who has been given a two-year contract by Tanzanian football powerhouses Young African FC. 
However, there is already a plan in motion to take care of the gap that the DRC star player will leave. Felix Badenhorst, who wants out of Kinshasa-based AS Vita side, could be a perfect replacement in central midfield with Njabulo ‘D4D’ Ndlovu occupying the deep laying position in the belly of the park.
“The competition will be high and that is good for our football. The players have rested long enough and they are professionals who know what is expected of them,” he said.

The rest of the team is resuming training today and the coach said he was optimistic that they had rested long enough to come back and compete.   He said they would be setting their eyes on the Charity Cup, with the hope of winning it. “It has been a while since winning the Charity Cup. We want it home this time,” he said.
Upfront, ‘Koki’ should hope that Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa gets no offers that will take him away, so that they can retain the sharpness that saw them rain in 58 goals in 22 games with the striker netting 19 times.

Young Buffaloes coach Dominic Kunene is already looking forward to the season opener against Mbabane Swallows, but he has refused to nail his title aspirations in the mast.
“We have a plan about the championship, but it will be fully rolled out once the season starts. We do not want to pre-empt it, but we are cognisant of the stiffer competition that the new season will bring,” he said.
He said there would be plenty of potential challengers, but again refused to mention his team, despite that they were one of the best performing sides last season.


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