BEAUTIFUL MILLIONAIRES!

MKHUZWENI – Rather have an ugly win than a pretty performance and a loss.

This was the case for Mbabane Swallows who won the league with an own goal yesterday. After five years, 11 months and 19 days, Mbabane Swallows are celebrating their seventh MTN Premier League title following a gritty display in a 1-0 win over Ezulwini United at a packed Mkhuzweni Technical Centre yesterday. They had Ezulwini goalkeeper Siyabonga Magagula to thank after he towed the ball into his own net following a botched clearance early in the second half.

It was the ugliest of wins but it did not matter at the end as the hosts did the job with a game to spare following a dramatic showdown. At the sound of Referee Thokozani Dlamini’s final whistle, it was sheer ecstasy for Swallows fans who had built a wall around the venue which is without stands. It slowly sank that their favourite side was finally crowned champions and they roared into their song titled ‘Maswai Maswai sinitsandza nonkhe’. They looked ready to party all night and remained at the stadium long after the final whistle had gone.

The team also came prepared for the grand occasion, with t-shirts branded champions at the back distributed to players and some officials after the match. The inscription, champions, was bold, while the name of all the players and technical bench was in fine print. The final game against Young Buffaloes will be a mere formality and Swallows remain five points clear at the top. Their 52-point tally will not be matched by closest challengers and dethroned champions Green Mamba who beat Rangers 3-0 in a simultaneous fixture yesterday.

Showdow

For Ezulwini, they still need one point against Moneni Pirates in the decider to be guaranteed safety. While the showdown had all the ingredients of a decider, it was punctuated with questionable refereeing decisions and players were at each other’s throats more than once. Swallows had gone for the jugular but rushed things a little bit. They were forced to shuffle things up within 20 minutes following a forced substitute of the versatile Kwakhe Thwala who made way for Melusi Dlamini. Talisman Ayanda Gadlela who was noticeably submerged also endured the fixture with an injury. Chances were few and far between during the opening period, with Sandile Hlatshwako’s header from a Leon Manyisa corner saved by Siyabonga in the 32nd minute.

The ever-green Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini could not wrap his foot around the ball following a snapshot just the outside box moments before the break. That was the last throw of the dice in a goalless first half. On resumption of play, Ezulwini’s Msimisi Zwane squandered a glorious chance when he fired a lame shot from close range. Then on the 48th minute came the ridiculous moment. Ezulwini defence failed to deal with a Newman Philiso cross, with the goalkeeper mistakenly driving the ball into his own net. With Manyisa sacrificed in midfield for Siyabonga Zwane, Ezulwini found pockets of spaces to exploit and Banele Nkambule tormented the Swallows defence. Swallows were living dangerously at the back after the hour mark and Sibahle Sukati almost drove his shot past a forest of legs in a scramble in the 75th minute.

It was see-saw towards the end, but Swallows held onto to the narrow win to earn Coach Caleb Ngwenya his second league title in five years. He won it with Green Mamba in 2019. For Swallows, they are now guaranteed the E1 million first prize on top of a ticket to Africa’s premier club competition, the CAF Champions League.

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