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IDLALA KAMNANDZI IN THE JUNGLE

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Sports Editor


MBABANE - A high flying bird, particularly an Eagle carrying a snake is a symbol of great change. The Eagle is a ‘far sighted’ being, it represents a messenger, the serpent means transformation, change, death and rebirth.


That is the gospel according to Professional Wildlife Removal website, and birds, like many mammals, are the common predators of snakes. In the context of the EswatiniBank Cup ‘jungle’, there is now a Green Mamba which only on Sunday poisoned a ‘Black Bull’, bringing it down to its knees in a manner that probably left the Animal Welfare Society screaming ‘murder’ in the final of the Ingwenyama Cup. The gaping wound will take time to heal in the hearts of those who swear by the horns of the ‘Black Bull’ and already the man who was on the driving seat, coach Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati, has disembarked from the derailed train faster than you would say ‘Gwaza Nkunzi’.


 This dangerous and poisonous Green Mamba is now gunning for the flying ‘Bird’ in the quarter-final stage of the country’s most exciting tournament. Iyolalala ibonene! The last time the two teams met in the self-same tournament was on May 8, 2016 when Mbabane Swallows emerged winners courtesy of two goals by Felix Badenhorst and Njabulo ‘D4D’ Ndlovu.

The Green Mamba versus Swallows pairing invited hushed tones inside the auditorium and nobody felt it more than the ‘Birds’ General Manager Sandile ‘Beyond 2000’ Zwane, who was at pains describing his team’s absence in cup finals as a rare occurrence in local football that they need to bring to an end. “It wasn’t easy watching the final on TV when in such events we were always there as Mbabane Swallows. People are now throwing stones on our roof; we need to bring this to an end. Our neighbours have caused us this noise, we will put it to an end,” Zwane said emphatically.


But Green Mamba Chief Executive Officer Mandla Sibiya was unyielding, warning Swallows that they were an unstoppable force. Indeed, the 2-0 win over Highlanders in the Cup final wasn’t pretty but it was worth its weight in gold. No thrills, no frills – just a workmanship-like performance anchored on a fool-proof game-plan they stuck with every fibre in their being.


If the Green Mamba versus Swallows clash was the ‘pick of the draw’, spare a thought for another humdinger clash – wounded Highlanders versus recuperating Malanti Chiefs. The Pigg’s Peak side might have been booted out in the quarter-final stage for the last two years, going down 3-1 to Green Mamba on April 7, 2018 in the 2018 edition and  again losing 1-0 to Denver Sundowns ironically on the same day April 7, 2019, but their record in the tournament does make for riveting reading.


Be warned Highlanders. Christopher Tembo’s charges might just add a pinch of salt to the gaping wound. Then of course, the reigning three successive times defending champions of the tournament, Young Buffaloes, will face plucky Moneni Pirates in another interesting fixture.

The army side dreams of being record four-successive-times winners of the tournament will be severely tested. No doubt, the draw itself has presented at least three exciting clashes with of course the Lubombo derby pitting Madlenya FC against Tambuti FC not to be ignored either. Definitely, the 2020 EswatiniBank quarter-finals ATODLALA KAMNANDZI as the slogan of the tournament suggests.

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