EFA DECISION IRRATIONAL – BOGS

MBABANE – A number of BOGs are not happy with the Eswatini Football Association’s (EFA) decision to cancel all football activities as of this past weekend.

They feel the football association’s decision was irrational considering a number of factors and think it would have been better to have allowed the EswatiniBank Cup quarter-finals scheduled for this past weekend to continue as planned.
BOGs is the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Board of Governors.

The EFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Mngomezulu announced last Friday that all football games countrywide were put on hold in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Mbabane Citizens Chairman Mandla Simelane said the coronavirus pandemic was not news as it was something that had been reported about for a while.
“They should have cancelled the games earlier in the week before teams started preparations as they are very costly to the teams. The teams spend a lot of money for game preparation and the football authorities should have at least allowed the EswatiniBnak Cup to continue as planned,” said Simelane.
He said only one case had been confirmed in the kingdom and the teams had spent so much resources in preparation for the games for the EFA to cancel them overnight.

Meanwhile, Vovovo Director Sipho ‘Tsetla’ Bhembe shared similar sentiments.
“For me personally, the decision was off-side because we are told the threat is serious yet gatherings such as church services, schools, and bank operations, among many others, continue as normal,” he said.

decision

Bhembe said for him, it was a decision that did not go down well considering the fact that in neighbouring South Africa, where many cases of the virus had been confirmed, games continued as normal and Eswatini was quick to cancel games.

“However, if authorities thought the threat was serious and deemed it necessary to cancel the games, then it is a decision we cannot reverse,” he said.
Green Mamba’s Vusi Kunene remained neutral and said it was difficult for him to say it was a right or wrong decision as they did not have all the facts about the virus.

“I think those who took the decision have better knowledge and know the variables of the virus and we cannot therefore say it was a quick decision or not,” he said.
Kunene added that the authorities probably knew things they did not about the contact places as a case had been confirmed and 12 more were being investigated.

Young Buffaloes’ Vusumango Dlamini politely asked not to comment as he highlighted that their policy only gave their CEO authority to talk to the media.
EFA Board member and WFA Chairman Sonnyboy Mabuza was reported to have said cancelling the EswatiniBank Cup games was ill-timed as teams had invested a lot in preparations.

Countries such as Russia have resorted to behind closed doors games rather than cancelling.

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