Manzini – In one of the most one-sided cup finals in the history of the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), Green Mamba put Mbabane Swallows to the sword with a 6-0 bashing to win the PLE Trade Fair Cup.
The PLE Trade Fair Cup made a return after six years in the annual Eswatini International Trade Fair with Green Mamba bagging their second Trade Fair Cup trophy in history, adding to the 2005 triumph ironically achieved over the same Swallows.
Player of the tournament and Green Mamba captain Njabulo Tfwala alongside promising forward Kwenzokuhle Khumalo scored a hat-trick apiece at Mavuso Sports Centre to help their team bank the E300 000 that was at stake. For their efforts, Swallows pocketed E150 000.
Swallows played the taxing week-long tournament with a depleted squad with a majority of their stars away in Morocco for Sihlangu’s last 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers group match against Burkina Faso which ended goalless. The absent players included Neliswa ‘Tiger’Dlamini, Kwakhe Thwala and Sandanezwe Mathabela among others.
Young Buffaloes settled for bronze, pocketing E50 000 after seeing off Madlenya 2-0 with goals from right back Sibonelo Sibandze and twinkle-toed attacking midfielder Banele Mkhabela in the third place play-off played early in the day.
PLE TRADE FAIR CUP INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
Player of the tournament: Njabulo Tfwala, Green Mamba (E4 000)
Top goal scorer: Njabulo Tfwala, Green Mamba and Njabulo Maziya, Young Buffaloes (E1 500 each)
Coach of the tournament: Ernest Mavuso, Green Mamba (E4 000)
Goalkeeper of the tournament: Qiniso Nyawo, Mbabane Swallows (E3 000)
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