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MBABANE – Relief!
Sources have revealed that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has provisionally approved Somhlolo National Stadium to host some international matches.
The national arena was banned from hosting ‘Category A’ matches for both the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) in 2019. This ban left the country with only the Mavuso Sports Centre for such high-profile games. The stadium was recently inspected by CAF officials.
According to classified information obtained by this publication, the officials were impressed with the work that has been done at the stadium during a part of the inspection.
One source revealed that the venue was on the verge of hosting international games again, which would relieve the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) and local teams participating in CAF inter-club competitions from the burden of securing alternative venues outside the country.
The latest update, as per a statement released by CAF on the approved venues, confirms that the national stadium is among those that were given the green light, though on a temporary basis.
When contacted for comment, the Minister for Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima, said nothing had reached his office as he was currently out of the country. “I am away in Namibia, but I will get to know about the developments when I return. However, if it’s true that we have been provisionally approved, it means we need to correct a few things for our stadium to meet the required standards,” Nzima said.
Full article available in our paper.
CAF has temporarily given a green light to Somhlolo to host international matches. (Pic: Courtesy)