DERBIES DELIGHT!

My dearest readers ... In the dizzying, energy-sapping scourge of ‘Janu-worry’, when reality sinks in after the devil-may-care spending patterns of the festive season, our wacky world of football has offered a reprieve.

It comes in the form of the magical, richest, unpredictable Ingwenyama Cup 2020 which yesterday rolled up a massive FOUR derbies in its Last 16 stage. The security forces derby, Young Buffaloes versus Royal Leopard; the Manzini derby – Manzini Wanderers versus Denver Sundowns; the Lubombo derby – Tambankulu Callies versus Illovo and God forbid, the Mbabane derby – the biggest fixture in the land, any season, any day and any month.

Trapped inside the hotter-than-an-aluminium smelter Sigwaca House (For God’s sake even an air-conditioner doesn’t work there, like Sihlangu and everything else!) yesterday, it felt like one was giving birth (though I now doubt there is something like labour pain the way the women are throwing or strangling their newly-born babies these days). By the time the Master of Ceremonies, Lenhle Masuku, declared the draw on, we had been suffocating in the cacophony of stale alcohol, cheap perfume and bad odour by those who treat a morning bath like an optional extra.

Luckily, it was one of those past weekends where I didn’t touch anything between water and paraffin, otherwise the remnants of my English breakfast would have been laid bare on the unpolished floor of Sigwaca House within seconds. The draw itself, was conducted with all the fairness the football officials could muster. Gone are the days of the behind-the-scenes ‘fixing’ of the draw we had seen in other tournaments in the years gone by. All was done above board, which handed us one of the most exciting draws you could ever wish for in this richest tournament in the land.

Spell bounding stuff!

From the first game of the draw – defending champions Young Buffaloes against Royal Leopard, you got the sense this was to be a different tournament altogether. Never mind the fact that the two teams have met in this tournament at this stage before in the second edition during the 2016/17 season. I still remember vividly the day, December 31, 2016 when lanky striker Phiwa ‘Silwabelwabe’ Dlamini scored the winner in referee, Thulani Sibandze’s two minutes optional time (90+2 minutes) as the army side skinned the Leopard alive.

As fate would have it, Buffaloes went to the finals on February 5, 2017, only to lose 1-0 to Mbabane Swallows’ Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa’s 26th minute goal, controversially so. History will show that Nhlanhla ‘Mshengu’ Kunene’s ‘goal,’ apparently cleared off the line by Papy Tshishimba which clearly needed a goal-line technology or the much-vaunted VAR, never counted. Buffaloes PRO Sandile Gwebu screamed ‘we wuz robbed’ for eternity. To this day, he believes the ball crossed the line.

Be that as it might be, again, in the third edition, the two sides met, this time in the semi-finals on February 4, 2018. Leopard came out victorious courtesy of a 30th minute strike by Bonginkhosi ‘Manyovu’ Dlamini. Clearly, these two sides cannot be easily separated especially in knockout tournaments. This one will be no different.

Then you have the Manzini derby – Wanderers versus Sundowns. ‘Basop IKappa Kappa’ are on a seven-game unbeaten streak which has seen them move away from the relegation trapdoor to seventh on the log. Ghanaian coach Christopher Enin clearly is doing something magical with the Manzini side who, lest we forget, also have a good record against Wanderers, especially, in knockout tournaments.

Given Wanderers visible lack of physical strength demonstrated by their failure to hold on to their leads, the maroon and white outfit face an uphill battle. Sunday’s brilliant first half display in which they tore Black Swallows apart in a 4-0 demolition job was undermined by a sleep-inducing second half performance which was as flat as a bad pancake. In this tournament, there are no second chances. Then you have the Lubombo derby – Tambankulu Callies versus Illovo FC. Definitely, expect fireworks in this clash and the fact that given yesterday’s draw, two National First Division sides will make it to the quarter-final stage set to be played next weekend. Unpredictable Seven Dreams will face Vovovo FC in the other all-National First Division teams pairing.

Then, my good Lord, you have the biggest fixture in the land headlining the Last 16 stage draw. They do not come bigger than the Mbabane derby. It’s a fixture that is as dreamy as a substance-influenced fantasy.

It divides families, church members, friends alike. Lest we forget, it’s the first time these two sides meet in this richly-sponsored tournament and coming barely two weeks after settling for a goalless draw at Somhlolo National Stadium, this one will be a must-watch.

Highlanders’ fans, rightly so, are still grieving over the disallowed Josef Lekata goal, which remains one of the wonders of the season how it never counted. Given that Swallows’ most successful coach in history, Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati, has crossed the rubicon, it will add spice to the already Mbabane derby succulent stew.

No doubt, the Last 16 stage draw yesterday left all of us salivating and lifted the Ingwenyama Cup to the top as a true knockout tournament – unpredictable, spell-bounding, scintillating and thoroughly entertaining. BUCKLE UP, IT IS HERE!

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