MBABANE - In a development set to send shockwaves through local football, Manzini Wanderers has slapped the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) and the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) with a staggering E9.9 million demand for financial damages.
According to a formal letter of demand dated May 28, 2026, the hub giants are claiming massive compensation following their highly controversial exclusion from the 2024/25 football campaign. The club has given the football governing bodies a strict seven-day ultimatum to settle the multimillion Emalangeni sum or face immediate litigation.
Wanderers, who completely missed out on the 2024/25 season, only returned to top-flight football this season following the expansion to a 16-team league.
The entire saga stems from a protest instituted by Manzini Wanderers on May 19, 2024, against Denver Sundowns, now Manzini Sundowns, regarding a defaulting player, Jimmoh Moses. Wanderers argue that a successful protest had direct relegation consequences for a third-party club, Moneni Pirates.
The letter alleges that despite a High Court ruling directing the PLE and EFA to ensure Wanderers participated in the 2024/25 season, the bodies committed a ‘complete dereliction of duty’, ensuring the club remained ‘on ice’.
The staggering financial claim is broken down by S.M. Jele Attorneys into specific damages suffered by the club due to their season-long inactivity. Furthermore, the legal team notes that while Wanderers were forced onto the sidelines, Moneni Pirates were registered for the football season, despite the widespread knowledge that a successful protest by Wanderers would have relegated them.
The club notes that the forced inactivity caused severe financial strain, as they still had to pay coaching staff and players for training, only for some players to eventually walk away from the club due to frustration.
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Manzini Wanderers players celebrating a goal in one of their league games. (Pic: Nimrod Hlophe)