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CLOSER TO THE BONE, THE SWEETER THE MEAT

01/02/2022 08:28:00 Lwazi Dlamini Pandora's Box

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My dearest readers ...

Quickly now, the rest of the league first round title challengers may soon need binoculars to keep track of the country’s football royalty - Mbabane Highlanders Football Club, at the summit of the log standings. After Royal leopard played to a 2-all draw with plucky Vovovo FC yesterday, the ‘Black Bull’remain four points clear at the top of the pile. ‘Ingwe Mabalabala’, who spent last week transgressing the hinterlands of Africa in trying to honour a CAF Confederation Cup match against Algeria’s JS Kabylie, without success, could be seven points behind if Highlanders beat Milling Hot Spurs on Saturday at Mavuso Sports Centre. Highlanders’ninth win of the season in the 3-1 victory over hapless Tambuti FC on Sunday at the King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium has seen the capital city giants take a giant step towards the first round E200 000 incentive.

incentive

It wasn’t the best of performances against the league’s bottom loggers, but the ‘Black Bull’ did the business and in the words of English commentator Peter Drury, that’s what champions do. Closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat. Having last won the ‘Holy Grail’ of Eswatini football in the 2000-2001 season, a staggering 21 years ago, you cannot begrudge the Highlanders faithful for starting to believe this could be the year they add a historic 14th league title. They may not be at their scintillating best, but their grit, determination and zeal is bringing the desired results.

The circumstances around the first round title race are seemingly working to their favour too. Leopard’s CAF Confederation Cup business is distracting the police side, who are having to play catch up in the league. All things considered, the first round title chase looks to be tilted to Highlanders’ favour. Unlike Leopard, they have the points in the bag and face Milling Hot Spurs and the self-same police side in the last game of the first round. Leopard face Buffaloes, Manzini Sea Birds and Highlanders in the last three games, which if truth be told, are all very tough encounters. Sea Birds, who before Leopard’s clash with Vovovo FC yesterday, were on the second spot, four points behind Highlanders, also have a tougher route.
‘Izinyoni Zolwandle’ will cross paths with Royal Leopard and Green Mamba in the last two games. You do not need to be a compulsive gambler, like many high-ranking football officials we know, to bet on Highlanders snatching the first round E200 000 incentive.

overcome

Having watched about ninety per cent of ‘Inkunzemnyama’s games this season, there is something that they have overcome, which was a major let-down when they came this close to winning the league in the 2015/2016 season. Then they believed their own hype and lost focus. The players and the management became too excited with the prospects of winning the title and started counting their chickens before they hatched. The cookie crumbled when they could only draw with relegated Bad Boys, allowing Leopard to snatch the title right under their noses. It was a sorrowful moment for those who swear by the horns of the ‘Black Bull’. It was so near yet so far. This time, they seemed to be more level-headed and composed. It starts from the unpopular but effective decision by the Managing Director Chief Ally Kgomongwe, who is not shy to effect changes when he feels the wheels are coming off.

I am particularly impressed with new coach Seloatse ‘Sly’ Mosala, who was quick to note that his players were complacent against Tambuti FC, and immediately took out Tony ‘Ben 10’ Machacha for Nkosinathi ‘Smally’ Fakude, brought Sabelo ‘Sawa’ Gamedze for the ineffective Philani Mkhontfo. Say your say ‘Sly’ as a fox. “We struggled a bit in the first half because our mentality was wrong. If we want to win the league, we must have the right mentality and the right attitude. We cannot underestimate any opponent. We must inculcate the culture of winning. It must be in the player’s veins, it must be in their DNA.”

good

A good coach is one who can pick up these things even if his side had just cruised to a 3-1 victory and not be caught in the euphoria of another win. Mosala’s experience is showing and Highlanders are lucky to have a coach of his calibre. With basically two games left before the first round ends, the first round title race has reached its climax, but if truth be told, Highlanders hold the aces. They have it in their own hands. More-so, they have the country’s deadliest striker in Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa, who has now speared the back of the net 14 times in 13 games. This goal-scoring ratio is higher than the current English premiership scorer, Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah’s 16 goals in 20 games. Even the overused phrase ‘goal-a-game’ striker seems not to perfectly describe the lethal marksman who is now sure-bet to win yet another player of the month award. He is simply a cut above rest and so is Mbabane Highlanders right now.