WIN INGWENYAMA CUP, SHARE E1.2M!

MHLAMBANYATSI – Mbabane Citizen players could be the ‘real citizens’ if they were to win the richest club competition in the land – the third edition of the Ingwenyama Cup.

This, after the team’s co-director, Jockey Ferreira, who spoke on behalf of board of directors, promised the players the E1.2 million first prize to share among themselves. Citizen have 23 registered players, which means if the current National First Division unbeaten log leaders were to win the lucrative tournament, each player could pocket slightly over E50 000 each. They face another National First division side in Milling Hotspurs in the quarterfinals of the third edition at Somhlolo National Stadium on Saturday. The director was speaking in an exclusive interview during the team’s training session at Mhlambanyatsi Sports Ground yesterday afternoon. “This is their money to play for since they have reached this stage. It is possible that they can win it, especially if they continue to work extra hard. Of course bonuses have been there for the team, for each and every cup win, we gave them bonus. the incentive increases as they win more games so if they win this one, they will get big chunks,” Ferreira said. He further said it was not going to be easy winning the tournament.

“Look, we have played Milling Hotspurs and they have given us a hard time, we beat them 1-0 in the first round and played to a goal-less draw in the second round. They have experienced players that is why they managed to beat Matsapha United and Mbabane Highlanders, but we won’t let them beat us. Our advantage as compared to their Ingwenyama Cup victims is that we know them,” he explained. Meanwhile, captain Celani Shongwe said it was possible to be champions of this richly sponsored tournament. “We are not here by fluke; we beat Young Movers 5-0 and Red Lions 4-3 on penalties. We deserve to be in the quarter-finals and we are very positive that we can win this trophy, but right now we need to take one game at a time. We need not underestimate them (Hotspurs) because we also believe they are good as they beat Matsapha United and Mbabane Highlanders,” Shongwe said.

Citizen new coach, Ikabort Masocha, said they need to strongly believe in themselves to win this tournament. “It is all in the mind and if they have faith that they can win it, they can do it,” Masocha said. For Citizen to win the trophy, they need to beat Milling Hotspurs and await other semi-finalists in the other quarter-final clashes involving Royal Leopard or Manzini Sundowns, Mbabane Swallows or Manzini Wanderers, Green Mamba and Young Buffaloes.

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