Calls for teams to increase voting tally

MBABANE – PLE Charity Cup qualifiers that fell short of the initial voting benchmarks have been instructed to ramp up their tallies ahead of the tournament.

The inaugural Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Charity Cup takes centre stage on Sunday at the Mavuso Sports Centre, headlined by a high-stakes local derby in the play-off fixtures. The draw, conducted by PLE official Zandile ‘Momo’ Matse, pitted Mbabane Highlanders AM against city rivals Mbabane Swallows, while the other fixture saw Green Mamba drawn against Ubombo Sugar.

This was revealed during the official tournament draw conducted on Wednesday at Sigwaca House. The event was attended by PLE Chairman Polycarp Dlamini, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pat ‘Kungumusa’ Vilakati and Eswatini Football Association (EFA) representative Aaron ‘Katalala’ Mavimbela.

According to the Charity Cup framework released by the PLE through Vilakati’s office on September 17, 2026, all clubs in the Premier League and National First Division (NFD) were eligible to participate in the televoting system.

The rules stipulated that the top two teams in the voting process would qualify directly for the semi-finals, while the remaining four would contest play-off matches. Moneni Pirates and Nsingizini Hotspurs secured direct semi-final berths.

The PLE explicitly stated that to secure a place in the top six, Premier League clubs had to accumulate a minimum of 20 000 votes, while NFD clubs competing in the PLE Charity Cup NFD finals were required to reach 10 000 votes.

However, when voting closed at midnight on Monday, only Premier League side Moneni Pirates and NFD outfit Nkwene Sundowns had achieved their respective targets.

A source close to the matter revealed that the PLE held a special meeting with the eight qualifying clubs on Wednesday at Sigwaca House, which failed to hit the threshold to map out a path forward to reach the required votes.

“The PLE told all the teams, except for Pirates and Sundowns, to increase their votes or face deductions equivalent to the shortfall,” the source said.

It is worth noting that the eight teams to participate in the tournament will each receive E15 000 as participation fee.

When asked how the PLE intended to make the deductions, the source alleged that funds would be taken from either the participation fees or gate takings.

Addressing the situation, the PLE CEO explained that the PLE Executive Committee (ExCo) had set clear standards for tournament entry, including the 20 000 and 10 000 vote minimums.

“The voting breakdown showed that the teams made an effort, and the ExCo resolved that the tournament should proceed as planned,” Vilakati clarified.

According to the fixture list released after the draw, Green Mamba will face Ubombo Sugar at 1:30pm, while the Mbabane derby will kick off at 4:15pm at the Mavuso Sports Centre.

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