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WHEN THE RIGHT HAND DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING

23/06/2021 08:36:00 Lwazi Dlamini

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The distasteful events that played out yesterday at Sigwaca House would be laughable if they weren’t serious.

The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) boldly and unashamedly announces that security forces side Young Buffaloes and Royal Leopard will be the country’s representatives in the CAF inter-club competitions with the league still left with nine games to play. Buffaloes will contest in the CAF Champions League and Leopard will participate in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The decision was taken by the PLE Executive Committee headed by Mark Carmichael and in its infinite wisdom this was done to meet the June 30, 2021 deadline. The Eswatini Football Association (EFA), on the other hand, seeing that the MTN league would not have completed its programme by the deadline (as it is there would still be seven games remaining) approached CAF to request an extension on the submission deadline. CAF has not responded. But the PLE has gone ahead to officially announce the two teams Buffaloes and Leopard as our representatives in the CAF Inter-club competitions. Why, why, why, why?

This, they have done, without consulting the teams in the league or at least waiting for CAF to respond. It is not the first time we have requested for a submission deadline extension to CAF on a number of issues. When CAF banned Mavuso Sports Centre as a host venue for the Sihlangu/Guinea Bissau AFCON qualifier back in March, we went begging to the CAF Emergency Committee and we were granted permission to host the match.

Previously, in years gone by, we have requested for submission of CAF teams deadline extension and were given the green-light. We are in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic, which has not only turned our lives upside down but our football programme too. CAF is aware of all the unusual circumstances and would be first to understand more than anybody else. More-so, as the CAF Inter-club competitions are likely to start in September. This then begs the question, why is the PLE rushing to effect a decision without consulting the teams or even letting the custodians of the game, the EFA deal with it?

This smacks of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing at Sigwaca House. Then of course, what does a frivolous decision like this mean to the league competition, to the sponsor, MTN Eswatini and to all the football stakeholders including the supporters of the teams? What is there to play for now since effectively the league champions and runners-up have been decided by the Executive Committee? What is the PLE Executive Committee saying to the league title chasing Mbabane Swallows, Mbabane Highlanders and Manzini Wanderers, who mathematically can still win the league? Are they saying the remaining nine games of the league are academic and inconsequential?

Come to think of it, Royal Leopard are six points ahead and running away with the league title but Lord forbid they will be contesting in the less glamorous CAF Confederation Cup even if they go on to win the league title. This can only happen in Eswatini where people can wake up one day and take a decision and everybody else can go fly a kite. What incentive then is it to win the league for the rest of the teams some of whom have publicly stated that their biggest wish is to participate in the CAF Interclub competitions.

We call upon the EFA to do the right thing, which is to revoke this still-born decision and bring back sanity and integrity to the league competition and everything it stands for. The EFA as the football mother body must read the PLE the riot act and then handle the issue with CAF so that the deserving teams participate in the CAF Inter-club competitions FAIRLY. This frivolous decision is but a perfect reminder too, to the country’s Big Three teams, Swallows, Wanderers and Highlanders that it is about time to get their way into the PLE highest decision making body and not let relegation fighting teams, who have no ambition of playing in CAF Inter-club competitions, take decisions on their behalf. It’s unheard of. EFA must save our football from these shocking decisions, which are an affront to the spirit of FIFA’s Fairplay and integrity of the league competition. Sanity must prevail.