Swazi Observer

FULL STORY

WANDERERS SEASON OVER

By MELUSI MLOTSA | 2025-01-22

SOCCER - Manzini Wanderers’ hopes of playing in the league this season have suffered a setback.

This comes after the crowd-pulling side reportedly failed to comply with club licensing at the start of the season. This, therefore, means that despite the outcome of the matter scheduled for early next month to be heard by the Supreme Court, Wanderers will not play in the league due to the absence of the club licensing certificate.

The team’s non-compliance was disclosed by both Premier League of Eswatini and Eswatini Football Association competitions’ lawyers in the team’s urgent application to stop the Ingwenyama Cup games.

This was last Friday at the High Court. According to the Eswatini Football Association Circular No. 218 issued on July, 4 2024, football clubs registration is only confined within the registration period.

“As a principle, the registration of football clubs shall only be confined within the first window registration, in the 2024/25 football season, from July 15, 2024 until the eve of the first weekend or first round of matches, marking commencement of the last day of the first window period even if the first competition in that particular league or region is scheduled to commence after the last day of the first window registration period.

“No club shall, therefore, be allowed to register for the current season after this period, unless on exceptional cases prescribed in this circular.

“Premier League and National First Division League clubs must fully comply with the CAF and EFA Club Licensing regulations and timelines to qualify to participate in football competitions of the forthcoming football season, including the newly-introduced Club Licensing Online Platform, domestically and internationally as communicated by EFA.

“No club will be allowed to register to play in the 2024/25 season without having complied with club licensing regulations,” reads the circular.

The circular further provides acceptance of exceptional circumstances but only in the event a football club would be having a case within the EFA, Regional Football Association or league judicial structures of EFA.

Submitted
When quizzed on the latest development, Manzini Wanderers General Manager Jabulani Dlamini said they submitted all necessary documents before the season started but were rejected.
“All the necessary documents were submitted but were rejected by the EFA purposely as they urged us to go down to the NFD.

“That’s a deliberate ploy to kill Wanderers and they are now taking us for a hell-ride.
Why did they also wait up to this far to tell us that we didn’t comply?” he said.
Dlamini disclosed that they wouldhave a big meeting on Saturday at Zakhele.

Meanwhile, EFA Chief Executive Officer Frederick Mngomezulu's phone rang unanswered until this article was compiled when contacted on the issue.

share story