Mbabane: There is a probability of 1.1 over 10 a foreign coach will win the MTN League according to history.
Since the MTN Eswatini replaced Eswatini Breweries’ Castle Lager League in the 2002/03 season, Zambians Manfred Chabinga and Francis ‘Mkhulu’ Banda are the only foreign coaches to win the MTN Premier League with Royal Leopard and Green Mamba in the 2007/08 and 2010/11 seasons respectively. Over its 17-year rich history, the league crown has been shared among local strategists with current Manzini Wanderers coach Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe the most decorated in the league on four crowns.
Actually Hlophe was the first coach to win the MTN League with Wanderers in the first Y’ello season, 2002/03. Wanderers and Mhlambanyatsi Rovers are the only other two sides to win the country’s football ‘Holy Grail’ beside Mbabane Swallows and the three armed forces sides; Green Mamba, Royal Leopard and Young Buffaloes.
Swallows on six titles and the three security services teams have shared among them 15 MTN League crowns with Leopard on six, Green Mamba (two) and Buffaloes (one).
Zenzele ‘Ace’ Dlamini who is currently Technical Director at Mbabane Highlanders and former Royal Leopard Head Coach Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane come closest to Hlophe with three league titles under their belts.
MTN LEAGUE WINNERS HISTORY
2002/03 Manzini Wanderers (Nyanga Hlophe)
2003/04 Mhlambanyatsi Rovers (Gcina ‘Magiyane’ Dlamini)
2004/05 Mbabane Swallows (Zenzele ‘Ace’ Dlamini and Jabulani ‘Go Man’ Nxumalo)
2005/06 Royal Leopard (Musa ‘Magic’ Zwane)
2006/07 Royal Leopard (Musa ‘Magic’ Zwane)
2007/08 Royal Leopard (Manfred Chabinga)
2008/09 Mbabane Swallows (Nyanga Hlophe and Zenzele ‘Ace’ Dlamini)
2009/10 Young Buffaloes (Zenzele ‘Ace’ Dlamini)
2010/11 Green Mamba (Francis ‘Mkhulu’ Banda)
2011/12 Mbabane Swallows (Nyanga Hlophe and Mpendulo Ngwenya)
2012/13 Mbabane Swallows (Nyanga Hlophe and Mpendulo Ngwenya)
2013/14 Royal Leopard (Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane)
2014/15 Royal Leopard (Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane)
2015/16 Royal Leopard (Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane)
2016/17 Mbabane Swallows (Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati)
2017/18 Mbabane Swallows (Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati)
2018/19 Green Mamba (Caleb Ngwenya)
