WITH FEW DAYS AHEAD OF MBABANE DERBY: PLE EXCO HASN’T GIVEN UP ON SOMHLOLO

MBABANE – As the biggest derby on the land draws near, the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) has disclosed that it is working tirelessly to secure the Somhlolo National Stadium as the venue.

The PLE is currently facing a dilemma in finding a suitable venue to host the capital city giants, Highlanders and Swallows, next weekend. These old foes are expected to clash and renew their rivalry under the MTN Premier League’s 24th fixture. The organisation’s Chairperson Mark Carmichael has said efforts to secure the soccer ‘Mecca’ have been undertaken by the executive team.

The Denver Sundowns boss said requesting the permission to use the being refurbished stadium is an operational duty, not to be done by clubs. “As an organisation, we are committed to wrapping up the season in the right manner and will do whatever is within our power. We understand that we can’t interfere with the renovations, but we also understand that it’s a huge challenge in the operations of football,” Carmichael said.

Appreciation

He further expressed his appreciation for the efforts to refurbish the Somhlolo National Stadium and the Mavuso Sports Centre, venues which are currently inaccessible. The unavailability of these venues has pushed the PLE football activities out of the Mbabane-Manzini corridor. Football fanatics in this corridor have now gone over a month without witnessing the league thrills within their territory. The last league game played at Mavuso Sports Centre was on March 11, where Royal Leopard played a goalless draw with Denver Sundowns.

“Yes, we’re currently challenged with venue availability, but on a positive note, the options have increased. We are aware that both Somhlolo and Mavuso are undergoing upgrades, which is positive for football. We shall benefit from these enhanced facilities,” the chairman said.

Derby

Most top-tier league games are now being played in the Lubombo region. The Mkhuzweni Technical Centre and King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium serve as the centres of action for the Hhohho and Shiselweni regions respectively. Amid this headache, it has also been reported that the PLE is crossing its fingers to take the derby south, to King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium.

It is worth noting that a venue that hosts the two capital city giants have certain considerations, as it is the standard of the league. The two opponents are crowd pullers and issues of security become a major concern as most venues are open grounds.  

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