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BUFFS, G. MAMBA OUT OF CHARITY CUP

16/07/2019 00:58:00 BY NTOKOZO MAGONGO

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MBABANE – CAF envoys Green Mamba and Young Buffaloes have been withdrawn from the 18th edition of Eswatini Telecom Charity Cup.

This comes after their first games in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round fixtures clash with the Charity Cup semi-finals and finals billed for August 11 at Somhlolo National Stadium.

This has benefitted Malanti Chiefs and Matsapha United, who have since replaced the two teams in the play-offs to be played on Saturday at Somhlolo National Stadium. Malanti Chiefs and Matsapha United will now join Police side, Royal Leopard and Manzini Sea Birds in the play-off where the winner will join the ‘Big Three’; Manzini Wanderers, Mbabane Highlanders and Mbabane Swallows for the main day.

Matsapha United will be making their debut in the tournament since the team’s inception while Malanti Chiefs featured in last year’s play-offs. The two teams were robbed, according to Premier League log standings end of last season.

The winners of this year‘s edition dubbed ‘S’phakeme Futsi’ will take home E1.1 million. Buffaloes will be playing in the CAF Confederations Cup after winning the EswatiniBank Cup while Green Mamba qualify for the CAF Champions League after winning the Premier League.

Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) Corporate Affairs Manager Nqobile Magagula, in the company of Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) COO Pat Vilakati, said after consultations with football stakeholders, they decided to withdraw the two armed forces teams from the tournament due to their CAF participation.

Finals

“We have already communicated with the teams after discovering the dates of the finals clash with their CAF games fixtures. They will be replaced by the team that falls behind them in the league and that is Malanti Chiefs and Matsapha United,” she said.

Young Buffaloes Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sandile Gwebu confirmed the latest development yesterday. He said they got the correspondence that their first leg match of the preliminary round would be played on the weekend of August 9, 10 and 11.