MBABANE – The package at stake is E20 000 and only one school between finalists Evelyn Baring High and Sibetsaphi High stand to take it home.
They are the last two schools standing in the tournament that involved schools from all four corners of the country. It is all coming to an end tomorrow at Mavuso Sports Centre, but before the two schools cross swords, there will be a third-place play-off match between last Friday’s semi-final losers last Friday at the same venue, Manzini Central and Eric Rosenberg who lost to Sibetsaphi and Evelyn Baring respectively in the semis, while the former was ejected by Sibetsaphi.
Trophy
Champions will walk home with E20 000 plus a trophy and gold medals, while the runners-up will earn E10 000. Third-place finishers will not go home empty handed but will receive E5 000. Given the huge crowds that have followed the games, especially when they play at the hub including elite stars, coaches and fans, Mavuso was seen as the best place to host the semi-finals and finals to also see the returns as each fan will pay E10 at the gate to watch the games. The first match between Central and former Mbabane Swallows veteran winger Wonder ‘Samba Jive’ Nhleko’s school Eric Rosenberg will kick off at 11am. There will also be social football on the day between Eswatini Schools Sports Association (ESSA) ladies and Instacash ladies at 9am, before the ESSA Men take on Instacash Men an hour later.
Pumped
The sponsor, Instacash who pumped E360 000 into ESSA, invited the public to come in numbers and fill up the stadium as they did last Friday. The company’s Managing Director (MD) Mandla ‘Cheeks’ Nxumalo appealed for spectatorship and sound behaviour as these were schools games.
