E1.2M FOR IDLALA KAMNANDZI CHAMPS!

(At Royal Swazi Convention Centre)

EZULWINI – EswatiniBank Cup ‘Idlala kamnandzi’ as the champions will take home a whopping E1.2 million.

This is an increment of E100 000 from the first prize money that was won by the defending champions, Young Buffaloes, last year. This year’s 17th edition has been sponsored to the tune of E3.4 million, which also reflects an increment of E0.5 million from last year’s E2.9 million sponsorship package.

The sponsorship increment was announced by EswatiniBank Managing Director Zakhele Lukhele yesterday, during the launch held at the Royal Swazi Convention Centre.

The increase in the sponsorship package led to an increase in the prize monies for the champions, semi-finalists, Last 16 and Last 32. There are 32 teams that will be campaigning in the tournament dubbed ‘Idlala kamnadzi’ with the action starting on Friday evening, with the grand opening on Sunday.

“The bank has always been proud to be associated with local football, hence the consistent sponsorship over the years. We believe that both parties are benefitting from the relationship. I am pleased to announce that this year’s sponsorship is E3.4 million, an increase from last year’s E2.9 million,” he said much to the applause by the attendees.

Fee

Lukhele also delivered good news to the 32 teams that would be playing in the tournament as they would be receiving the participation fee of E10 000 each before kick-off of the tournament, on Friday. In the past editions, the teams were handed the money at the end of the tournament during the prize presentation.
“The bank has noted football is a very expensive and financially challenging sport.

These financial challenges can impact negatively on teams’ preparations for a match. I am happy to announce that in this year’s edition, the 32 teams that have qualified for the first round will receive their first round prize money of E10 000 in advance instead of at the end of the tournament. We hope this will assist the teams in their preparations. It is important to note that this will only apply in the first round and not in the other stages of the tournament,” he added.

Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga said they were happy with the bank’s commitment towards developing football in the country. “We express our sincerest gratitude, as government, to EswatiniBank for once again partnering with football and this time for an historic total prize money of E3.4 million. Indeed, an increase of half a million Emalangeni is almost unimaginable in these challenging economic conditions and yet the bank saw it fit to go this extra mile for the benefit of football. Words cannot describe how grateful we are M.D. and we humbly request that you relay this same message to the Board and the entire EswatiniBank management and staff,” he said.

He said the bank had aligned itself with government’s goal of making sport accessible to all members of society, known as ‘sport for all’ by also including the women’s football and the under-20s tournaments. “To quote His Majesty King Mswati III when addressing the nation at the official opening of Parliament about two weeks ago, ‘MaSwati asibeke embili inhlonipho nekuthula eveni’. 

Responsibility

“This goes for us in football as well. It is therefore, our collective responsibility to ensure that the 2020 EswatiniBank Cup is violence free,” said. Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President Adam Bomber Mthethwa said the bank was truly living up to its new slogan ‘Grow with us, ‘sitfutfuke nawe’

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