Mbabane: The goals are either drying up or theis a serious lack of goal poachers in the Premier League.
In the recently ended 2019/2020 football season, only three players reached double-figure goals in all competitions. These are twinkle-toed Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze of Young Buffaloes with 19, industrious Green Mamba midfielder Mxolisi Mkhontfo with 11 and South Africa-born Royal Leopard striker Thabiso Mokenkoane with 10.
Note worthy though is that the past season was cancelled with just 18 matches per team played instead of the expected 26 while the Eswatini Bank Cup played up to the last 16 round matches before the global spread of Covid-19, a disease that was threatening the human race.
Only Mokenkoane is a known striker with both ‘Saviola’ and Mkhontfo natural midfielders.
PLE TOP SCORERS (ALL COMPETITIONS)
Sandile Gamedze (Buffaloes) 19
Mxolisi Mkhontfo (Green Mamba) 11
Thabiso Mokenkoane (Leopard) 10
Ali Matse (Buffaloes) 9
Phiwayinkhosi Dlamini (Buffaloes) 8
Bongani Dlamini (Peacemakers) 8
Sandile Hlatshwako (Swallows) 7
Tony Tsabedze (Swallows) 7
Lungelo Tsabedze (Leopard) 7
Lizwe Zwane (Pirates) 7
Sifiso Mdluli (Pirates) 7
Fabrice Mopina (Pirates) 7
Sabelo Gamedze (Highlanders) 7
Muzi Tsabedze (Sea Birds) 7
Allen Mabuza (Swallows) 7
Charles Molopo (Malanti) 6
Sibusiso Gamedze (Hotspurs) 6
Mthokozisi Gwebu (Sea Birds) 6
Mxolisi Bhembe (Sundowns) 6
Fanelo Mamba (Buffaloes) 5
Sizolwethu Shabalala (Swallows) 5
Barry Steenkamp (Leopard) 5
Njabulo Tfwala (Green Mamba) 5
Solomon Oladele (Green Mamba) 5
Linda Maphalala (Sundowns) 5
Reagan Kangumbu (Tambuti) 5
Ohakwe Ugochukwu (Tambuti) 5
Wandile Nhleko (Sea Birds) 5
Mike Dombo (Wanderers) 5
‘Saviola’ netted 17 MTN League goals with the other two coming in the Eswatini Bank Cup. Mkhontfo on the other hand scored nine in the league, and one apiece in the Ingwenyama Cup and Eswatini Bank Cup.
Interestingly, Mokenkoane’s goals blizz came with eight Eswatini Bank Cup goals and just two in the league.
The closest strikers to the top three are the Buffaloes duo of Ali Matse and Phiwayinkhosi Dlamini with nine and eight goals respectively, Mbabane Swallows’ duo of Sandile Hlatshwako and Allen Mabuza are on seven goals- though the latter grabbed his goals during the first round while representing Pigg’s Peak Black Swallows.
Other known forwards on seven goals are Royal Leopard’s Lungelo Tsabedze, Moneni Pirates duo of Fabrice Mopina and Lizwe Zwane, Muzi Tsabedze of Manzini Sea Birds and Mhlume Peacemakers’ Bongani Dlamini.
In the Independent News Sports scorers assessment, goals scored in the traditional season opener, Eswatini Telecom Charity Cup are not included as not all 14 teams got to participate in the football extravaganza played over two days.
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