MBABANE – Elite league sides, Mbabane Highlanders and Green Mamba could attract the wrath of the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Disciplinary Committee (DC).
This could be for unsporting behaviour during the MTN Premier League match played at Mavuso Sports Centre on Sunday. The two sides played together in a Week 19 double-header and their game was preceded by the clash between Manzini Wanderers and Mbabane Swallows, which saw the latter winning it 4-0. The match between Highlanders and Green Mamba was won by the Correctional side 3-0, courtesy of a four-minute strike by Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa and a brace by Mxolisi Mkhonto. Just a few minutes before kick-off, an official from the Ernest Mavuso-coached side was seen digging at the centre line and buried an unknown substance.
His action attracted a reaction from an Inkunzi Emnyama official, who rushed to the spot and removed an unknown substance buried by the opponents’ official. The drama, which happened at a nearly packed Mavuso Sports Centre, repeated itself, as the Inyoka Eluhlazane official sprinted back to do the same thing, which the ‘Bull’ official reacted once again and diffused whatever was being buried. Such acts by the two officials are frowned upon by the 2022/23 MTN Premier League Rules and Regulations approved by EFA. The officials could attract the wrath of the DC, should this incident be captured by the Match Day referee or Match Commissioner in their reports to the PLE. This move is in contravention of Articles 10.6 .8 and 10.10.1.
The first Article 10.6.8 clearly states that maliciously damaging or attempting to damage property in the stadium, the offender shall be fined not less than E30 000 by the DC. Should they be charged using Article 10.10.1 (2) for the use of foreign substances they stand to be fined another E30 000. This Article states that it shall be an offence for a club, if its supporters, fans, officials, players and/or ball retrievers, are seen using any substance that is alien to, or is foreign to, a football field or stadium. Foreign substances may include, amongst others, liquids poured in the passages, tunnels or fields; salt and/or any powder sprinkled in the passages, tunnels or fields; chalk drawings or painting of walls in the change rooms, passages and tunnels, burning of incense or any substances/materials in the change rooms, passages, tunnels or fields; applying any oil or lotions to match balls and match equipment, digging of the fields, use of mirrors and so on. Any club identified by the referee/match commissioner or the match coordinator committing any of these offence(s) shall be summarily fined an amount of E30 000 by the PLE.
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Should they be charged, the two teams will be fined a combined amount of E120 000, as each stands to be fined E60 000. Meanwhile, PLE Football Manager Pat Vilakati, said as an organisation responsible for playing elite league games in the country, they could not comment on the issue as they were still waiting for the reports of the game. He, however, said they condemned such unsporting conduct of using foreign substances. “I am not commenting on the game, but generally we condemn such in our football as it gives bad publicity to all football stakeholders. The stakeholders need to be respected,” the seasoned football administrator said. He also said one day someone would be killed in stadiums due to what was witnessed on Sunday, where by unidentified supporter was seen invading the pitch while a game was in progress. He was latter seen being loaded to a police van after he was beaten by other supporters for his behavior.
On the other hand, speaking on national radio the Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS 1) Sports Show yesterday, Green Mamba’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mandla Sibiya highlighted that the duo were playing mind games ahead of the epic clash. He was responding on a question posed to him by the Presenter Nathi ‘Mdockies’ Hlophe on the episode the two officials displayed inside the park. The local football has been treated to a number of commotions which involved the same black and white capital giants and were hauled before the DC where they were fined E140 000 on two occasions as well as playing one game behind closed doors.
