Mbabane – What are the odds? The big three teams, Mbabane Highlanders AM FC, Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Wanderers, all suffered 1-0 defeats in their first games in the first week of the season. But fans rallying behind say it’s early days.
The shared 1-0 defeats, Highlanders to Nsingizini Hotspurs, Swallows to Green Mamba, and Wanderers to Moneni Pirates, sent shockwaves across the football landscape, contributing significantly to the mere nine goals scored across the entire first round.
Yet, the anguish among the faithful has been tempered by a powerful, long-term belief in the clubs’ quality and history, a resilient stance that has openly embraced the supportive plea from Highlanders coach, Ernest Mavuso, to remain patient and trust the process. This firm backing suggests the fans understand that a team, even one backed by a massive E7 million sponsorship, is not a final product on Day One, but an entity requiring time to become the “well-oiled machine” Mavuso seeks.
The fact that these powerful clubs are still trying to find their footing is not entirely surprising when examining their challenging off-season backgrounds. Mbabane Highlanders entered the season with the ambitious new ownership of South African businesswoman Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize. While this has brought professional optics, like a new bus and international training camps, it has also included internal turbulence, including the offloading of several core players and a pending legal dispute with the former director.
Such high-profile disruption, which also saw the club miss the deadline to formally change its name to Mbabane Highlanders AM, inevitably impacts on-field performance, making the patient fan reaction a crucial stabilising force as the club navigates its new, high-stakes era.
Meanwhile, Manzini Wanderers, the maroon and white ‘Weslians’, also began the season under new leadership after former Kubuta Member of Parliament (MP) Mlamuli Mabuza and Sibani Mngomezulu took over as directors in September, removing the position of managing director entirely. This restructuring was supposed to signal a decisive shift aimed at winning trophies, but it followed a tumultuous pre-season marred by fan unrest over player welfare, which at one point saw supporters blocking a planned trip to South Africa for practice matches.
The early 1-0 derby loss to Moneni Pirates serves as a sobering reminder that administrative change does not instantly translate to on-field harmony, putting immediate pressure on the new technical team to harness the recent wave of squad strengthening, which included four new signings.
For the thousands who dedicate their hearts to the ‘Black Bull’, the ‘Weslians’, and the ‘Birds’, this collective failure seems to have fostered a unified sense of resilience rather than isolated blame. They are choosing to interpret the losses not as a sign of permanent decline, but as irrefutable evidence of the Premier League’s growing competitiveness, asserting that any complacency will be punished, even by mid-table rivals.
The ‘Birds’ have been grappling with a long-running, public ownership battle between the traditional ‘FC’ Management Committee and the new club structure, Mbabane Swallows (Pty) Ltd. Just before the Premier League began, the (Pty) Ltd faction rushed to the High Court seeking to stop the team’s fixtures entirely, arguing that the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) needed to finalise an arbitration on the matter first. The presiding judge, recognising the need to protect the players and the league, ordered a temporary agreement between the two warring factions to maintain the status quo, allowing Swallows to play their first match.
This temporary reprieve saw the traditional FC committee running the team while the legal matter was scheduled to return to court.
The supportive chatter online and in the streets points to a common desire; the players must quickly shed the disappointment of the opener and translate their historical dominance into focused, quality preparation for the crucial next fixture on October 18.
This remarkable display of loyalty shifts the pressure away from the coaches and onto the players themselves, demanding that they elevate their game to meet the expectations of their resilient fan base. The supporters believe the depth, history, and resources within the Big Three are more than sufficient to quickly reverse the early trend, provided the players demonstrate genuine commitment to the training ground.
For the fans, this unexpected stumble is simply an opportunity for the giants to prove their mettle and begin the long, demanding climb back to the top of the table, where they believe their clubs rightfully belong.
Below are some of the users that commented on Facebook and their comments:
User 1: One loss doesn’t end the season. We believe in the Black Bull. Just need time to gel, and the goals will come. Patience!
User 2: A tough day, but we are Mbabane Swallows! The boys just need to refocus and show their quality next time. We are behind them 100%.
User 3: The derby loss stings, but Moneni were just more prepared. We need to work harder in training. The Weslians will rise; trust the badge.
User 4: Coach Mavuso is right; it’s a process. We must remain calm. The team is building. We’ll be ready for the next battle.
User 5: It’s a long league. Let’s not panic. This defeat reminds us that every game is a final. Swallows must train harder now.
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