MBABANE (Monday 28 July 2025): The 2025 ten-day Trade Fair Cup soccer tournament which kicks off at the end of August carries a whopping E2.5 million purse.
The tournament which was launched today (Monday 28th July), will see the return of Manzini Wanderers who have been in limbo for a year and missed the 2024-25 soccer season. But their first match will be a rough welcome against Green Mamba.
Defending champions Young Buffaloes are meeting Premeir League rookies, Malanti Chiefs while League champions Nsingizini Hotspurs will have a potential easy start when they meet Thabankulu Celtics, another Premier League greenhorn while Royal Leopard will also probably have an easy time against Amawele.
Less certain, will be Mbabane Highlanders AM who will be making their first debut under their new President Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize who took over the club this month.
Unveiling the tournament at the Hilton Gardens this evening commerce minister Mancoba Khumalo and sports minister Bongani Nzima exchanged compliments for the way they supported each other to see the return of the Trade Fair Tournament, a legend since the early 60s that fizzled out for lack of sponsorship.
Minister Khumalo who led the drive to secure the 8Bet tournament was full of praise for his sports colleague: “You must thank your sports minister who approached me with the challenge. He said you are the one who knows the business people. Don’t just look on as I struggle to get the Trade Fair sponsorship. Help me,” Khumalo told the gathering of soccer club owners and administrators at the media launch.
Minister Khumalo said the sponsors were so happy with the tournament that he suspected it would be 8Bet Trade Fair Cup ever after. He praised the sponsors for increasing the sponsorship by 25% from E2 million to E2.5 million for a ten day tournament.
8Bet chief operations officer Belinda Motsa said they were very happy with the performance of the tournament last year which showed them very good return on investment. “Football is more than sport. It builds character and inspires succeeding generations.” Announcing the sponsorship package, Motsa said: “This year’s sponsorship is E2.5 million. As 8Bet we say ‘may the best team win.”
Minister Nzima also praised 8Bet as a “wonderful example of a Public Private Partnership. As we know that our clubs are financially struggling, we pray that other businesses take the example of 8Bet and support sport.”
But everyone is praying for a clean, peaceful and violence free Trade Fair tournament. “Let is commit to A violence-free tournament,” prayed minister Nzima.
All the games will be played at the Trade Fair between the 28 August and 8 September.
16 teams will participate in the tournament. PLE CEO Petros Vilakati said they have used the 2024-25 League log to seed the teams with the log leader playing the bottom of the log and second playing second last. The tournament will also feature new teams, Malanti Chiefs who topped the First Division as well as Amawele and Thabankulu Celtics who won the playoffs.
jm/today/28.07.2025
