WANDERERS, PIRATES WRESTLE OVER ‘MAGAWUGAWU’

MBABANE – Hub giants Manzini Wanderers and Moneni Pirates are in a battle over experienced defender Menzi ‘Magawugawu’ Simelane.

The former Mbabane Swallows defender, who missed almost the entire first round of the 2021/22 MTN Premier League due to an undisclosed illness, is reported to have jumped ship to join city rivals Manzini Wanderers from Pirates for the upcoming season. The ‘Sea Robbers’ of Moneni’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sibusiso Nkambule, set the record straight about their captain on national radio, the Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS 1) Sports Show hosted by Siphesihle ‘Sihlabani SebeNguni’ Nxumalo yesterday morning.

negotiate

Nkambule said according to what he was aware of, ‘Magawugawu’ was their player as no team had come to negotiate for his signature. “What I can officially say is that Menzi Simelane is a Moneni Pirates player. He is still registered as our player and we have not issued a clearance for him,” Nkambule said. He also said the clearances that they had issued were for Mpendulo Tfomo, who was signed by Mbabane Highlanders and one for Mphumuzo Sangweni, who had joined MTN Premier League champions Royal Leopard. “Another player that we might clear is Pabello Yende as we are currently in talks with Denver Sundowns. As a team, we don’t stand in the way of our players if they want greener pastures,” he clarified. He further said this was the official statement concerning the movement of players in the team and he said in as far as they knew, Simelane would show up at the team’s training as he was a player that would sometimes be not available due to personal issues.

signed

Meanwhile, Manzini Wanderers General Manager Mlungisi ‘Mluka’ Ndzinisa publicly declared on the same sports Show that Simelane had signed with them for the new season. He said when one joined to be part of the Managing Committee (MC) of such a big team, it was everyone’s dream that the club’s fortunes change. He said that was why they were busy in the current transfer window period after announcing major signings, including ‘Magawugawu’. “If you can look at my new squad you can say it’s the same as the one that had the likes of Yuki Masina and Junior Shisa which used to win trophies,” Ndzinisa said.

educated

He then said some of their players had left the hub giants such as former captain Mthunzi ‘Chippa’ Motsa, whom he described as an educated player who was seeking for employment, which was why he had left as they were a football team, not a place of employment. “We have new arrivals in Vukile Khumalo and Menzi Simelane who both have signed for Manzini Wanderers,” he said. The former Umkhonto KaShaka player could not be reached for comment as his phone rang unanswered when this report was compiled.

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