By Sibusiso Masilela | 2020-08-23

Soccer – Who will it be?  Mbabane Swallows and Green Mamba have both been earmarked by Eswatini Football Association (EFA) to represent the country in the upcoming 2020/21 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation Cup.

One of the two sides is set to take the country’s ticket to the continent’s second premier club competition.

After the cancellation of the 2019/20 MTN Premier League season on Friday, which saw Young Buffaloes crowned champions, the EswatiniBank Cup ticket to Africa remains up for grabs after it was also cancelled along with all other competitions.  An EFA executive member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, asserted that one of the above mentioned clubs would be given the confederation cup slot.  “The Confederation Cup representative will be chosen between the two clubs. Evaluations will be done during the upcoming executive committee meeting. Some of the criteria that would be considered include two clubs performances during the cancelled season, previous continental experience and financial muscle.

“The eventual candidate will certainly get financial assistance from EFA after being given the slot,” said the member.

EFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Mngomezulu said they were yet to decide on the local representatives for the Confederation Cup during the recent press conference by the football mother body on Friday.

“We are still going to sit down to discuss the issue of the Confederation Cup with Premier League of Eswatini and EswatiniBank Cup. We will inform the nation once the decision has been taken,” he said.

Meanwhile, Swallows Marketing and Communications Manager Mancoba Mabuza said the club cannot commit itself to comment on hearsay when contacted.

“As Mbabane Swallows Football Club, we do not dignify hearsay,” he said.

On the other hand, Green Mamba Chief Executive Officer Mandla Sibiya could not be reached for comment when sought after his cellphone rang unanswered.

The capital city giants finished the cancelled season sitting at position two behind champions Young Buffaloes. They further boast of huge continental experience after reaching the group stages of both the Confederation Cup and champions League. While, on the other hand, ‘Inyoka Eluhlazana’ won the SMVAF Ingwenyama Cup and they also represented the country in the current CAF champions League where they were eliminated in the preliminary round by Zesco United from Zambia.

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