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THE FIVE-POINT PLAN

06/04/2020 08:24:00 Lwazi Dlamini

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Some football commentators have opined that the 2019/2020 season should be declared null and void.

But why should the white flag be hoisted just yet? We have eight games left before the curtain falls down on an exciting MTN Premier league and we are in the quarter-final stage of the much-loved EswatiniBank Cup Idlala Kamnandzi. Unlike other major leagues who are counting losses running into billions of Emalangeni (English teams might have to reimburse the broadcasters a reported 760 million Pounds (about E16 billion), we do not have such challenges to deal with as we have no television deal worth the paper it is written on. It is too early to be clouding issues right now. It is important to adhere to government’s precautionary measures of social distancing and hygiene.

Our neighbours, South Africa, who have the number one league in Africa are also monitoring the situation keenly and the Chairman of the league, the all-too-powerful Orlando Pirates boss, Dr Irvin Khoza told the Sunday Times that, at this point, it was important to preach the same language the government was spreading about the importance of hygiene and social distancing because that linked to when playing the matches may resume in SA. “The debate for us is how to amplify the voice of the government in making sure that people stick to the basics of hygiene. So we must come on board, hence my take that ‘listen to understand and never listen to answer’,” said the ‘Iron Duke’ of South African football. Nobody could have put it with such alluring clarity. Sports Editor, Lwazi Dlamini has drawn up a contingency plan in the event the landscape has not changed by the end of May when the football season is due to return.

EXTEND SEASON POSTPONEMENT TO END OF JUNE

If the situation doesn’t get any better – especially with government caught between partial lockdown and full lockdown like a blind bat – we should extend the football season postponement to end of June. After-all our teams hardly do any pre-season training. This period would feel like a new season when they resume playing.

SCHEDULE REMAINING FIXTURES BETWEEN JULY-AUGUST

We have eight games remaining in the league and basically three rounds of the EswatiniBank Cup (quarter-finals, semi-finals and final) which can all be condensed within an eight-week period which would probably take us towards the end of August. We would still be good to go even if the waiting period extends to end of June.

STAGE ESWATINITELECOM CHARITY CUP IN SEPTEMBER

Our season opener, the EswatiniTelecom Charity Cup commenced on August 11 last year – won by Mbabane Highlanders for the ‘Black Bull’ first trophy in nine dreary years – and this time, it can be staged in early September. So, shifting the tournament played over two weekends (Play-offs in one weekend and the main tournament staged over one day) would not hurt anyone. After-all only seven teams virtually participate in this season opener, with the first four teams facing off in a Playoff to produce the one team who then join the ‘Big Three’ teams who qualify for the main tournament by virtue of their crowd-pulling power.

DELAY THE START OF THE 2021/2022 SEASON UNTIL FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER

With the EswatiniTelecom Charity Cup staged in September, the MTN league 2020/21 season could start on the first week of October, giving the players at least three weeks off in September to rest. Depending on the senior national team Sihlangu AFCON qualifiers this would be an option going forward.

STAGE GAMES DURING FESTIVE PERIOD THIS TIME AROUND

This idea has been mooted at the PLE Board of Governors during the reign of the dearly departed chairman Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze (may his soul repose peacefully) before and perhaps this is the time to implement it. That is using the festive season to stage games – both the MTN league and the Ingwenyama Cup games. Infact this is a perfect period to stage games as most people are at home, have moolah and would do with taking time off to watch local games as we have lot of visitors too during this period. It could be a double bonus for the PLE and the teams while also easing up on the congested fixtures. Maybe the coronavirus outbreak would have given our football silk-suited souls at Sigwaca House an opportunity to think outside the box and try something new.