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PLE’S E300 000 HEADACHE

25/05/2020 00:26:00 BY LWAZI DLAMINI

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Sports Editor

MBABANE – The proposed 16-team league by the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Board of Governors would cost the organisation an extra E300 000.

The Times Sports Desk has gathered this is one of the reasons the dream of a 16-team league by some of the PLE Board of Governors is likely to remain just that – a dream.

An informed source close to the matter, highlighted that increasing the number of teams to 16 would mean the PLE would have to fork out an extra E200 000 to cover the E100 000 given to each team, at the start of the season from the MTN league sponsorship.

“The MTN league sponsorship covers 14 teams, to then add two teams would mean the PLE has to fork out an extra E200 000 for the two other teams and also cater for the extra two teams that would join the National First Division where each team gets E20 000 at the start of the season.

“This is impossible in the current financial situation of the organisation,” the source added.

Automatically

The source further stated that increasing teams to 16 for the Premier League would automatically mean the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) would have to take back the financial-draining National First Division league.
“It would be impossible for the PLE to run both the Premier League and First Division.

“That’s why a proposal of increasing teams to 16 is highly unlikely to see the light of the day,” the source noted.
PLE Chief Operations Officer (COO) Pat Vilakati said the proposals sent by the Board of Governors would be discussed in the next meeting.

“These issues will be discussed in our next meeting,
“I cannot pre-empt what will happen at this stage.
“We are still awaiting the response of the FA after we wrote a letter requesting permission from government to hold our meeting,” Vilakati said.

Vilakati revealed that the PLE Annual General Meeting (AGM) would be held anytime between July 15 and August 15.
“As per the constitution we have to call a meeting between July 15 and August 15 and the constitution has to be followed to the letter,” he added.
The PLE will be electing a new chairman and executive committee during the AGM.