By Chris Dlamini
The rivalry between Mbabane Highlanders and Mbabane Swallows has been playing itself out on social media lately, with the movement of players the main issue.
Both have lost star players to ambitious Shiselweni side, Nsingizini Hotspurs. The latter is currently the team catching the eye as they are signing from the big guns instead of the other way round.
Highlanders lost their first choice goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala while Swallows had to part ways with last season’s MTN Premier League Player of the Season in midfielder Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini.
It appears the upcoming second edition of the Hospice Charity Cup by the Swaziland Hospice at Home is set to bring this verbal war to the field of play on August 11.
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This is if a memo posted by one of the teams in the tournament, even last season, Moneni Pirates, is anything to go by.
Pirates posted on Tuesday night that the preseason tournament was already scheduled for August 11, a week before Swallows and Nsingizini Hotspurs play their first leg matches in the TotalEnergies Energies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup respectively.
Swallows are the reigning champions after they licked Nsingizini 1-0 in the final last year at King Sobhuza II Stadium in Nhlangano.
“As we prepare for the new soccer season, the club will be playing its first preseason tournament, the Hospice at Home Charity Cup, on August 11 this year.
Clubs to participate are 1) Moneni Pirates, 2) Mbabane Highlanders, 3)Mbabane Swallows, and 4) Nsingizini Hotspurs,” read the statement.
It went on to state that ‘as a build up to this Charity Cup finals, the teams will embark on social responsibility’.
“We wish to cordially invite our supporters to participate as we will be visiting ka-Bhekinkosi for garden work which belongs to Hospice at Home on July 13.
We request for any donations such as seedlings or farm inputs that may assist Hospice at Home to carry out their noble initiative,” further read the Moneni statement.
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The hub side’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sibusiso Nkambule affirmed the news when he was reached.
“We need donations like seedlings for various vegetables like spinach, beetroot, and onions among others,” he said as he confirmed the statement.
Nkambule also explained that the tournament was yet to be launched amid the four teams’ charity work at ka-Bhekinkosi scheduled for Saturday, July 13.
Meanwhile, both Highlanders and Swallows also concurred that they will be participating in this tournament.
It will be the first time for Highlanders who also have the Bible Society Cup to defend after winning the last two editions.
However, it remains to be seen if that four-team preseason tournament will be played this year.
“Oh yes, the Hospice at Home Cup second edition will be part of our pre-season preparations, so we will go there to compete with the aim to defend our title,” responded Swallows Public Relations Officer (PRO) Knowledge Ngwenya who sounded confident it did not matter who they played against.
For Highlanders and Swallows, they are likely to be drawn against the other in the semis, or if not, meet in the final. Also,
they both could face-off with their former stars Tiger and Shabalala should they meet in the one-day competition held at King Sobhuza II Stadium last year between Swallows, Nsingizini, Manzini Wanderers and Moneni Pirates.
