eSwatini will not participate in CAF Confed Cup
A failure by the eSwatini Football Association (EFA) to complete the Swazi Bank Cup tournament which was abandoned in the quarter-final stage, has resulted in the country failing to field a team to represent the mountain kingdom in the CAF Confederation Cup.
While sporting activities were halted by the Corona-19 pandemic with the FA Cup in the quarterfinal stage, one would have expected the country to perhaps recommend that the league runners-up at that stage would be named as CAF Confederation Cup representatives.
“We are aware of the CAF draw that was conducted on Monday in Cairo,” said EFA Communications Officer Muzi Radebe. “But the country will only participate in the CAF Champions League represented by Young Buffaloes and will not have a representative in the CAF Confederation Cup,” he added.
Buffs is a side that eliminated Zambian Bidcon 2-1 on aggregate during the 2019 CAF Confederation Cup. But after defeating the defunct Bidvest Wits 1-0 in eSwatini, succumbed 3-0 in the second leg to crash out 3-1 on aggregate and do have experience at this level.
Although the CAF Confederation Cup fixture indicates that Mbabane Swallows would play Angolan Cup winners GDSE and the winner would proceed to face Orlando Pirates, the EFA issued a statement on Tuesday indicating that only Young Buffaloes would feature in continental competitions.
This means the Angolans will automatically advance to the first round to meet the South Africans while Congolese cup winners – Maniema – relative rookies in Pan-African competition, will come up against Bloemfontein Celtic who were losing finalists to Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup.
Celtic, going through a rough financial period and yet confounding sceptics with their enterprising performance despite their challenges, have reached their second consecutive cup final – MTN 8 – where they are scheduled to line-up against Pirates in early December at a venue to be decided.
Leave a Reply