MBABANE: At the Swallows corner at the centre of Downtown Mbabane all eyes will be on Madlenya House on Gwamile Street. The Birds will be watching carefully to observe who goes in and or out of the corner building developed by their late owner, Victor Maradona Gamedze across the street. Today, Mbabane Swallows leaders are expected to troop into the building and surrender the club to Gamedze’s widow, Princess Lungile.
Swallows, the most successful soccer club in the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) are financially down and out. Yesterday Swallows management was hauled before the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC) to answer charges of why they have failed to pay players’ salaries.
The MTN defending champions and darling of the masses is broke. Club President Absalom Ngwenya recently declared that the club faces serious financial problems. These problems stem largely from ruinous expeditions in the CAF competitions where the team reportedly spent E1.7m hosting international games at its borrowed South African stadiums and playing in Mozambique.
Money that should have been spent on developing the club went instead to paying for venues, accommodation and match officials.
Major teams have problems
Swallows who are flying high in the league are not the only major national club in trouble. Their neighbours, Mbabane Highlanders are in similar problems. Five years ago they entered into a partnership with a South African businessman. The marriage went into a very rough patch even before the honeymoon period. Currently Highlanders leaders are struggling to secure an appointment to meet with their Pretoria based Director to resolve, among others such simple difficulties as whether and how their team will play against Illovo this weekend. Internal disputes have left the soccer club high and dry. Its player too say they have not been paid, and have petitioned the PLE to hand them gate takings from their last game against Swallows.
Not to be left out, is Manzini Wanderers, another national great and with Highlanders and Swallows, one of the three pillars of the country’s soccer. They too are floundering on similar hard times. They managed to escape relegation after winning a court battle but are now suspended in limbo after the PLE along with Moneni Pirates and Denver Sundowns appealed. They too are suffering significant financial problems.
At high noon today, Swallows leaders are expected to walk into Madlenya House and respectfully officially hand over the club to Princess Lungile, and hopefully. secure a new lease of life for the Birds need to continue to soar over Eswatini soccer.
Princess Lungile is not new to soccer. She is scion of a soccer legend, Prince Makhungu a stalwart and lifetime patron of Swallows Rivals, Mbabane Highlanders.
Jm/today/21.11.2024
