UNFAIR ADVANTAGE CRIPPLING SWAZI FOOTBALL
On Sunday, 8 September 2024, the country’s army football club, Young Buffaloes FC, was crowned champions of the 8bet Trade Fair Cup after defeating fan favourites, Moneni Pirates, 2–0 in the final.
The army side walked away with E600,000 in prize money.
While such a victory would typically be a time for celebration and extending congratulations to the winners, it instead brings to light a deeper issue—one that requires serious reflection on the unfair competition between state-sponsored teams and those run by civilians. Civilians who, out of sheer passion for football, use their hard-earned family funds to support and sustain their clubs, only to be pitted against teams financed by taxpayers’ money.
Take Green Mamba FC, for example, a club backed by the Correctional Services Department, staffed by warders who are full-time state employees with regular salaries. Similarly, Royal Leopards, supported by the police, and Young Buffaloes, the army’s football club, benefit from state funds. These clubs enjoy a significant competitive advantage due to their dual contracts. Players are employed as security officers, earning salaries from their respective government departments, while also holding football contracts—mandatory for professional players under FIFA rules.
When these state-sponsored teams win prize money, the players receive bonuses on top of their government salaries. These players, although employed as military personnel or police officers, seldom perform their official duties. They spend their time training as full-time professional athletes, often both in the morning and afternoon, and competing on weekends. They are housed, fed, and enjoy all the benefits of being state employees.
During the 8bet Trade Fair Cup finals, Young Buffaloes arrived on a government bus in full view of the nation, as they always do. They faced Moneni Pirates, a civilian-run team whose owners and supporters must scrape together their personal resources just to keep the club afloat.
This contrast in resources raises a critical question: how is this allowed to continue in our football? It is fundamentally unfair and should not be permitted in any competitive arena. Why do we, as a nation, accept such inequities in our football league?
Surely, the players and management of state-sponsored clubs like Young Buffaloes must feel some unease about celebrating victories that are not truly earned through fair competition. Yet, we witnessed the National Army Commander, Mashikilisane Fakudze, exuberantly celebrating Young Buffaloes' victory—as if it were the result of a level playing field.
Meanwhile, clubs like Manzini Wanderers are teetering on the brink of relegation, largely due to financial struggles. These clubs, run by ordinary citizens, are competing against teams supported by taxpayer funds, making their uphill battle even steeper. It is disheartening to see clubs like Wanderers struggle while state-sponsored teams thrive with the backing of public money.
The administrators of our football, those at Sigwaca House, seem to turn a blind eye to the numerous issues plaguing the sport. This glaring inequality, however, should not be overlooked. It is time to address this unfair system—shame on those who allow it to persist.