Football

MBABANE – Revealed!

A staggering E20 million budget requirement and the lack of a Category A stadium are the bruising realities that forced the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) to pass up the chance to host the upcoming COSAFA tournament.

The regional showpiece was originally scheduled to be played before the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America (USA), but it had to be postponed, as COSAFA was still searching for a country to host it. When the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) announced it was actively looking for a member nation to step in, many local football fans wondered why Eswatini did not jump at the golden opportunity.

However, EFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Mngomezulu has laid bare the massive financial and infrastructure hurdles that made taking on the tournament an impossible task for the country.

Speaking at Sigwaca House during the Eswatini Women Football League end-of-season awards ceremony, the soft-spoken administrator admitted that financial challenges played a defining role against the idea of bidding. Mngomezulu revealed that for any member association to successfully host a tournament of COSAFA’s magnitude, a massive capital outlay is required upfront.

“To host a regional tournament of this nature, you need a budget of at least E20 million just to cover the basic logistics, hospitality and operational costs. Given our current financial climate, that kind of budget is a momentous challenge,” the CEO explained.

Beyond the multimillion Emalangeni price tag, Mngomezulu pointed out an even more critical roadblock: Eswatini’s ongoing stadium crisis. Under current continental and regional football regulations, matches must be played at facilities that meet strict international criteria.

“Even if the financial resources were readily available, the tournament requires a minimum of two Category A stadiums. As a country, we currently have none that meet that standard,” Mngomezulu lamented.

Mngomezulu further stated that if it were other competitions, such as the Under-20 tournament, they would have jumped at the opportunity.

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EFA CEO Frederick Mngomezulu during the press conference yesterday. (Pic:Sanele Jele)