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Highlanders’ last victory good omen

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My dearest readers... Some games create divides, feuds, animosity but Sunday’s last big Mbabane derby ended in mutual admiration.
It was as if the two bitter rivals Mbabane Highlanders and Swallows knew this was a historic day in many ways. Not only was it the coronation of Mbabane Swallows for successfully defending the league crown they won with four games to spare but it was the last game the aristocrats of Swazi football, Mbabane Highlanders, played in the Premier League before embarking on the lonely road to the murky waters of the National First Division league.


For a moment, as Highlanders bombarded an embarrassingly below par Swallows, who did not play like true champions but were just going through the motions, it was forgotten, momentarily that this was the ‘Black Bull’ swansong.
The outpour of emotions, from scribes to every administrator, supporter and former player of the fallen capital city giants, was forgotten albeit temporarily. This game will go down in the history books not only for the rugby scoreline, the worst defeat Swallows have suffered in the hands of their bitter rivals since the December 4, 1990 6-1 mauling, but being the last league derby between the two sworn enemies – at least until the 2014/15 season.


Sunday’s derby marked the end of an era. I hate to say I told you so because I don’t derive pleasure from kicking a man when he is already down. It is just not in me. But I predicted Highlanders’ celestial decline and relegation from the elite league at the end of the first round when the early signs were showing so brightly. I rightly said the decision to stretch an already thin squad and limited budget by participating in the gruelling Africa Cup campaign (CAF Confederation Cup) will come back to haunt them. But this is just one part of the flawed logic or reasons that has led to the most catastrophic event to befall Swazi football EVER.


The rot, as other commentators have already said, started way back in 2001 when the then chairman of the Management Committee, Mpheni Dlomo was literally hounded out of the post. The rabble-rousers, who now want to blame everybody but themselves, were leading the way in ousting the former senator from the post.


Ironically it was just a year after Highlanders had won the league championship and being the team that was given the tag of being the barometer of local football, it was appalling that 10 years passed by without the ‘Black Bull’ laying its hands on the Holy Grail of domestic football.
Two SwaziBank Cup triumphs, a Swazi Telecom Charity Cup and Trade Fair glory did not disguise the fact that Highlanders were no longer the same swashbuckling side that had an amazing resilience, bulldozed its way past opponents – on and off the field. With the poor showing on the field and off-the-field too, it became evident the roles were now reversed. Their dynasty even at Premier League of Swaziland (PLS) corridors became a thing of the past.


No prizes for guessing which team rules the roost now. Power shifted, as we all know, to their sworn rivals. In between the dominance of the despotic armed forces, it has been the all-conquering Mbabane Swallows that has ruled supreme while Highlanders were engaged in administrative bickering, changing MCs, failing to buy players and getting rid if not fighting with the experienced ones who ended up watching from the sidelines.
The names of defenders, Mlungisi ‘Madzala’ Ngubane and Eugene Dlamini spring to mind here. How they lost a player of the calibre of Khayelihle ‘Karas’ Dlamini and later Hloniphani Ndebele only to ‘buy’ him so to speak, told of an administration that thrived on the Three Cs – Chaos, Crisis and Confusion. It was deplorable.


As one commentator rightly said, glorified fans soon assumed leadership roles, which were not even clearly defined to pick and choose who should be chairman of Board of Directors. The ship, it was evident, was headed for an iceberg. Their fate was sealed.
Now if Sunday’s 5-1 win over Swallows is anything to go by – it is a good omen. It demonstrated that they have the will, capacity and hunger to bounce back to the Premier League in style after next season. That’s why it is very important that they should re-build the team now because even the National First Division league is not child’s play.


They should put their house in order and they have ample time to remove the deadwood and all those wolves in sheep skin who all along claimed to be Highlanders people, yet we all know they are not. I have no doubt Highlanders can bounce back after just one season in the First Division because they have the pedigree, character and goodwill to do so. But they would need to start acting now. Highlanders relegation mirrors the standard of our football. From being a barometer of local football, Highlanders are now the thermometer.


They are the ones telling us really how ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ our football has become. There is no doubt one brick in the PLS wall is now gone and the PLS itself would need to come up with strategies to fill in the void that will be left by Highlanders relegation in terms of revenue collection and competitiveness of the league itself. The onus is also on the other member of the Big Three – Manzini Wanderers to rise up from the ashes and challenge for honours. Green Mamba, to me, looks like one of the teams that could challenge for honours next season.

As we close Highlanders sad chapter, we can all agree, lessons have been learnt and one can hope that Highlanders people realise the damage this has done to the club and football as a whole. With Sunday’s 5-1 victory, one can hope too, it was not just the last kick of a dying ‘Bull’ but an indication that perhaps they are too good to go down and they will bounce back in astonishing fashion because in the Premier League it’s where a big team like Highlanders belong.


That’s if they are going to stop being ‘big’ on talking and small on playing as they have been this season.
Bye Bye Nkunzemnyama, see you in the 2014/15 season. You will be sorely missed…………   

 

 

Swallows must resolve players’ unrest quickly

 

That said... The ancient wisemen observed that pride comes before fall and as Mbabane Swallows engaged in a play-in-strike, if there is ever such a thing, in the 5-1 loss to Mbabane Highlanders I could not help but notice that if the pending issues they have with management are not resolved, this is the beginning of the end in their winning cycle.


It is the same potholed road Highlanders travelled after the last SwaziBank Cup triumph in 2010 – players threatening to strike over winning bonuses. The issue was swept under the carpet and it manifested itself into a serious problem that divided the team right in the middle. You did not need to be a rocket scientist to deduce that Swallows players were an unhappy lot on Sunday. You only needed to look at the pictures when they were handed the league trophy. Glum faces – you would have been forgiven for thinking they were the team that had been relegated! Never mind the badly spelt – “Triple” – on their T-shirts, which should have read “Treble”.

There is a lot wrong with the melancholic mood that has suddenly enveloped the ‘Birds’ nest when this is the time they should be happy faces all around. While I agree that the players are being unreasonable really to demand more winning bonuses and then threatening not to honour a league match when some of them have got huge sums of money on signing on fees and winning bonuses of around E15 000, the Swallows management should resolve the matter soonest.

Either by getting rid of the rotten potatoes who lead the rest of the players astray or explaining why they cannot spend the whole winnings of the season on players’ bonuses because a team has got other expenses to cater for too. On face value, it does look like the players are justified to demand some more winning bonus when the team has raked in close to E2 million in prize monies but at the same time, a team has lot of expenses too, which they ought to take care of e.g the signing on fees, salaries and soon-to-be Charity Cup voting money.
The two parties (management and players) need to find common ground and resolve this matter because if left unattended it could have dire consequences next season.


It is very important that Swallows boss, Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze moves swiftly to address the issue and find a solution that will ensure unity and happiness is restored. If it means getting rid of the rebellious few so be it but it is important too to find the right balance because no doubt it is a sensitive and thorny issue. Many teams choke on the fruits of success by either taking the players for granted or by not telling them the gospel truth from the start of the season that a bonus is a token of appreciation at the discretion of the employer! The ball is on Swallows Management’s court to act swiftly...

 

TONY, ‘CROOKS’ FOR MTN LEAGUE BIG AWARDS

 

And now... Having said that, tomorrow night the MTN League prize presentation shall be held and all eyes will be on the recipient of the Player of the Year and lately the controversial Coach of the Year Award.


Let me have my two cents worth of opinion. My opinion is just an opinion and not law – everyone can agree or disagree with. If I had things my way, Mbabane Swallows dazzling winger, Tony ‘TT’ Tsabedze would be a deserved recipient for the Player of the Year after an outstanding season in which he was simply in a class of his own.

Not only did he score goals but he made a lot of assists that like a true captain he led by example. I would pay to watch ‘TT’ in training!  For the Coach of the Year Award, it would be sad if Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe was overlooked again. I know of all the theories that fly around concerning the technical ‘arrangement’ at Swallows but he deserves the recognition, which shockingly will be his first trophy as a coach, inspite of having won the league title more than any other local coach. Please give it to the 59-year-old ‘Crooks’, a humble son of the soil...




Comments (1 posted):

Ndumiso Methula on 14/05/2013 11:02:49
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TT derseves the player of the season!

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