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‘BIRDS’ 24-GAME UNBEATEN RUN

26/11/2022 06:56:00 Mengameli Mabuza

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MBABANE – Capital city giants Mbabane Swallows are on course to smash records again.

They have now gone 24 games unbeaten after last week’s 1-0 MTN Premier League win over Moneni Pirates. Last weekend’s victory over Moneni Pirates saw Mbabane Swallows extend their unbeaten run to 24 league games stretching from last season MTN Premier League first round 0-1 defeat to Mbabane Highlanders.The Mbabane giants are third on the log on 12 points, two points adrift of current MTN Premier League leaders Young Buffaloes and a point behind rivals Highlanders.

The last game that Mbabane Swallows lost was back in January 2022 against rivals Highlanders, which saw former striker Sabelo ‘Skhali’ Ndzinisa coming back to haunt his former employers in the Mbabane derby. Since then, Swallows have been immaculate, notching 17 wins, seven draws, scoring an avalanche of 42 goals and conceding just a merely 12 goals in the run. This impressive streak began on January 29 defeating Tinyosi at home 2-1 with a brace from legendary captain Tony ‘TT’ Tsabedze. The Musa Manyatsi-led team have played 24 games and remained unbeaten heading to tomorrow’s game against Tambankulu Callies.

In this period, they have taken on Manzini Wanderers twice, Young Buffaloes twice, Green Mamba, Royal Leopard and Mbabane Highlanders. One of the best records in the league in addition not losing a game in the league in this run, Mbabane Swallows have put in some stellar performances on the road. Umkhonto kaShaka reached the group stages of the CAF Champions league and have been able to master the skill of creating records in domestic football. In 2017, they became the first Eswatini team to reach the group stage of the a continental club championship Total Caf Confederation Cup. On top of that, Swallows are the first local team to complete two seasons without a defeat.

Mbabane Swallows General Manager, Sandile ‘ Beyond 2000’ Zwane mentioned that they were happy about the unbeaten run, but the main important thing to them as a club will be to take silverware at the end of the season. “It’s true we can’t deny that we are currently on a 24- match unbeaten run, but the important mandate within the structures within the club is that we need to have silverware when the season sends. The good run encourages the players and everyone associated with the Mbabane Swallows family,” Zwane said.

The Swallows general manager further highlighted that it was high time the club won a trophy as it was bad luck for such a big team to go this long without lifting any, emphasising the importance of being humble and not taking any games lightly. The Mbabane giants head to tomorrow’s game against a tricky Tambankulu Callies who last defeated them 4-2 when the last team meet on Tambankulu soil on December 29, 2021 and Swallows will be looking at getting their revenge. As it stands, the longest unbeaten run is held by African Club, Ivory Coast’s ASESC Mimosas who went 108 games unbeaten between 1989 and 1994 a record that Musa Manyatsi team will probably struggle to beat, but would want to match their 51-match unbeaten run which started on May 15, 2016 to September 30, 2018.