MBABANE – The road to Africa has started for local clubs, albeit with strict requirements.
With continental football riches and prestige beckoning, Eswatini’s representatives have officially committed to flying the national flag on Africa’s biggest club stage.
MTN Premier League champions Nsingizini Hotspurs and Ingwenyama Cup runners-up Green Mamba have confirmed their participation in next season’s CAF inter-club competitions. Nsingizini, who completed a remarkable domestic double after retaining the league title and defeating Green Mamba 1-0 in the Ingwenyama Cup final sponsored by the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (SMVAF), will represent the country in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Their dominance on the domestic front subsequently opened the door for Green Mamba to secure Eswatini’s CAF Confederation Cup slot as cup runners-up. It is said the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sent a warning to national federations across the continent.
They are emphasising the need to thoroughly review and scrutinise the files of clubs wishing to participate in the upcoming inter-club competitions.
This review aims to ensure that clubs are completely free of any debts, disputes or outstanding financial obligations to other parties before being granted a professional club licence. CAF has reportedly set the registration deadline for clubs at June 30, 2026.
CAF stated that local federations are now partners in this responsibility and are required to examine budgets and financial situations with meticulous precision. The federation warned that any leniency shown by a national federation in granting a licence to a club experiencing financial difficulties or possessing outstanding debts and pending cases will subject both the club and the federation itself to severe disciplinary sanctions from CAF’s relevant committees. In cases of serious violations, these sanctions could include the club’s immediate and official exclusion from participating in African competitions and its exclusion from the continental draw.
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