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RELEGATED TEAMS PETITION PLE!

21/09/2022 09:12:00 Machawe Fakudze

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MBABANE – The start of the 2022/23 season might be thrown into disarray, as two teams are challenging relegation from the Premier League to the National First Division.

The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) recently launched a E19.5 million sponsorship by MTN Eswatini and it would be spread over three years. The PLE, after the launch, released the fixtures for the elite league teams for the new season scheduled to kick-start on October 1. Barely a week after the launch, two teams are challenging the decision by the PLE to relegate them in the past season. These are Shiselweni-based side Rangers and Manzini-based outfit Milling Hot Spurs, who were among the four relegated teams at the end of the past season. They were the better-ranked sides among the bottom four. Also relegated were Tinyosi (now Ezulwini United) and Malanti Chiefs.

Attorney

The teams, through their attorney Linda Dlamini of Linda Dlamini and Associates wrote a letter to the PLE with a copy for EFA yesterday, September 20, 2022 acknowledging receipt of an email, pertain to an extract of the Minutes of the PLE Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held on September 13 this year. The email, according to the teams, was informing them that they were relegated from the elite league. According to the letter that is in possession of this publication, the law firm was advised by the teams that they had been given a fixture indication that they were to play in the National First Division.

“Our clients have advised us that according to a fixture you released on the 15th, instant they have been fixtured to play in the National First Division, yet in terms of the rules in accordance with which they played the previous season’s games, particularly Article 11 (7) therefore, they do not fall with the teams to be relegated,” reads part of the letter. Both the original and amended MTN Premier League Rules were approved by the EFA on October 28, 2021. According to the original rules’ Article 11 (7), the two clubs that have least number of points on completion of the league and/or positioned 15th and 16th in the final log standing, shall be relegated from the Premier League Division to the National First Division League.
While in the Amended Rules approved by EFA on the same date as the original rules, Article 11 (7) states that four clubs that have least number of points on completion of the league and/or positioned 15th and 16th in the final log standing shall be relegated from the Premier League Division to the National First Division League.

Confusing

A source close to one of the teams said that the rules were confusing in that they were all approved by EFA on the same date, which they felt as teams that the PLE was playing mind games with them. The PLE is demanded that by close of business on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 (today) they should have rectified the error, and failure to do that the matter would be taken to court. PLE CEO Kenneth Makhanya confirmed receipt of the correspondence from the teams’ legal representative. “We have received the correspondence and are still processing the contents,” Makhanya said briefly. On the other hand, EFA Marketing and Communication Officer Muzi Radebe said nothing had reached his office pertaining to the letter by the clubs.