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LEOPARD FAVOURITES TO FILL CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPOT

30/10/2020 01:12:00 BY SABELO NDZINISA

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MBABANE – Royal Leopard have emerged as favourites to earn the CAF Champions League spot despite not winning the MTN Premier League.

Information gathered yesterday revealed that Leopard’s name had been discussed in the corridors of football power to take up this spot after it emerged that last season’s declared league champions Young Buffaloes were not interested in registering for this tournament.

Highly-placed sources at the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) confided that Leopard have been identified for the CAF Champions League berth as they meet all the CAF club licensing requirements.

Apparently, officials of the police force side have indicated to the country’s football authorities that they are willing to take up the opportunity of representing the country in the continental tournament given the chance.

“The decision is to award Leopard the spot in the CAF Champions League but the EFA is now just waiting for confirmation from CAF that they (Leopard) meet the CAF club licensing requirements before endorsing the decision. As soon as CAF returns the report of which local clubs qualify under club licensing, Leopard will be served with a letter confirming their participation in the CAF Champions League after Buffaloes indicated that they will skip participation this time around,” our EFA source revealed.

Offer

Called for comment, Leopard’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Frank Hurube said nothing official had been communicated to them by the EFA but did not rule out the possibility of them taking up such an offer.

“The position is that nothing official has been communicated to us regarding CAF Champions League participation but if such an opportunity would be presented to us, it would be difficult to turn down. Of course, it would have to get the blessing of the team’s authorities but I want to believe we would not let such an opportunity pass as a team,” he said.

EFA’s Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said this issue was still being discussed at other levels in the association.

“Nothing official has been communicated to my office regarding CAF Champions League participation. What I know is that this issue is being discussed internally and no official names of teams have been mentioned as yet as we are all waiting for the report from CAF on the issue of club licensing by local clubs. It is the same report that will give us direction on this issue,” Radebe said.