Football

MBABANE – MTN Premier League returnees, Malanti Chiefs’ newly unveiled Serbian Coach Sreten Pavlovic’s local football journey starts with a test from rookies Amawele today at the KaLanga Technical Centre.

This fixture will be the final round for week one matches in the recently launched 2025/26 MTN Premier League season. The league’s prime sponsor, MTN Eswatini, renewed their partnership with the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), pumping E22.5 million to be played for in the next three years. This season has been sponsored to the tune of E7 million.

The two sides come to this match having faced each other twice in their football history, the first round saw the latter prevailing by a narrow 1-0 scoreline.

In the second round, it was a better performance by the Pigg’s Peak-based side, where they played to a goalless draw.

‘Tamshana’, as the Msunduza-based outfit is known in football circles, could prove to be a telling difference in the third encounter for the two clubs, while Malanti Chiefs could also build on from their 8Bet Trade Fair Cup performance, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Nsingizini Hotspurs.

Malanti Chiefs have already beaten some of the Premier League big guns, the likes of Young Buffaloes, which were stunned by the Pigg’s Peak-based side, where they won on penalties to knockout the defending champions.

On the other hand, Amawele had a not-so-welcoming reception from Royal Leopard, which beat the side 3-1.

Full article available in our publication.

Malanti Chiefs’ first choice goalkeeper, Bongiswa ‘Khune’ Dlamini. (Pics: Melusi Mkhabela)

Amawele’s speedy and skilful winger, Hlobisani ‘Pepper’ Maphanga.