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NO SPECIFIC COVID-19 FUNDING FROM FIFA - EFA

06/10/2021 08:28:00 BY NTOKOZO MAGONGO

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MBABANE – Loggerheads!

This is the current situation between the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) and the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) with only three days before the MTN Premier League kick-off. PLE was hoping to receive about E3 million to be able to kick start the MTN league 2021/2022 season. The funding is due to cover the COVID-19 tests that cost about E1 million for the 30 teams and match officials allowances that cost over E1 million. There are 16 teams playing in the elite league and 14 teams in the national first division. The EFA came out clear last night to state that they won’t be funding the PLE as the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund they received last year was a once-off financial assistance.

normal

In a statement, EFA Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said: “No specific funding has been received for the COVID-19 pandemic, save for the normal operational funds from which grants to EFA membership associations are accorded.” The PLE Executive Committee was locked in a meeting last night that lasted over five hours, where the league kick-off and the funding challenges were under discussion.

“As FIFA alluded in April 2020, the COVID-19 Relief Fund was a once-off financial assistance to her 211 members as an effort to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020 and this was also a similar case to the EFA membership,” reads part of Radebe’s statement. Radebe stated that all operational expenditure of EFA is wholly guided by the FIFA Forward regulations, contract of agreed objectives between FIFA and EFA and any other specific regulations designed for specific funds; including adherence to the budgetary lines approved at the General Assembly, which are specific on grants amounts to member associations. A source close to the matter said the PLE will struggle to resume the league without the funding as there was no income from the past season.

rescued

“The expenses before the start of the league are high due to the COVID-19 regulations and the teams could not afford to do the testing as they are also broke due to fans not attending matches. There was no income for the clubs in the past season and the PLE hopes to be rescued by EFA financially,” said the source. EFA then implored her member associations to manage their available funds and ensure that their business was planned within the confines of the available grants.
By last night, it was not decided if the MTN Premier League and the MTN National First Division were to kick-off this weekend or not, though PLE Chief Operations Officer Pat Vilakati had indicated on Monday that they were pulling all stops to kick-off the league this forthcoming weekend.