Ex-Sihlangu Doctor: Hydrate with electrolytes

BIG BEND – Former Sihlangu team doctor Melusi Lukhele has advised teams to encourage players to hydrate with electrolytes.

The former Mbabane Highlanders AM medic was reacting to the heatwave currently being experienced across the country ahead of this weekend’s MTN Premier League round four fixtures.

Lukhele advised teams to take extra precautions, including ensuring players hydrate adequately 24 hours before the match, implementing brief cooling and water breaks during the game, having medical staff and ice packs on standby, and avoiding prolonged warm-ups under direct sun to prevent heat exhaustion.

“The electrolytes play a major role in replacing those lost through sweat,” Lukhele said.

He said electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride, which are lost through sweat, are essential for maintaining fluid balance, muscle function and preventing cramp and heat exhaustion.

Meanwhile, the heatwave has forced the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) to shift the two fixtures scheduled for Mayaluka Stadium on Sunday by an hour. These are Madlenya FC versus Rangers FC and Young Buffaloes FC versus Ezulwini United.

Madlenya FC against Rangers FC was scheduled for 1pm while Young Buffaloes FC against Ezulwini United was set for 3:30pm.

The match which was to be played at 1pm will now be played at 2pm. This means the Madlenya FC versus Rangers FC clash will now kick off at 2pm and the Young Buffaloes FC versus Ezulwini United tie at 4:30pm.

The move comes as the Meteorological Department has warned that while severe temperatures are expected to drop slightly from Saturday, Sunday will still be extremely hot, with Big Bend expected to reach a maximum of 37 degrees.

Such weather-related shifts are not new in world football. In South Korea, the K League pushed kick-offs to after sunset in 2018 when Seoul hit a record 39.6 degrees for player safety, while FIFA has also moved kick-off times to later in the day and introduced mandatory hydration breaks during the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada due to extreme heat in host cities like Dallas, Houston and Miami.

The Lowveld has been hardest hit by the current heatwave, with Big Bend expected to reach a maximum of 37 degrees.

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