Africa-Press – Eswatini. IT’S was tricky draw for some of the teams, as the much-awaited Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund Ingwenyama Cup draw took place at the SMVAF offices yesterday.
Teams to partake in the tournament, that combines culture and football with a generous sponsorship of E4.650 million, were in a position to know their fate on whom to play in the tournament to be staged on January 6-7, 2024.
The champions will take home E1.4 million, while the runners-up will receive E530 000.
The draw had 16 teams being the 14 from the Premier League and the top two from the National First Division who were seeded as away teams in the draw.
The third positioned in the NFD plus the four teams from the regions formed part of the clubs to be given the home ground advantage. The seeded teams were placed according to their positions on the log table. The first team drawn will play against the first placed on the log and they all followed in that order.
The first-placed Green Mamba in the MTN Premier League were drawn against Shiselweni representatives Nyamane Celtics. To meet again in a cup game scenario will be Lozitha Spurs, who will play against Mbabane Swallows as the two sides met during the MoMo Cup play-offs a couple of months ago.
Another exciting encounter will be between Mbabane Highlanders, who will take on Pigg’s Peak Black Swallows, while Manzini Wanderers will redeem themselves against Sisonke, who made it to the last 16 of the previous edition of Ingwenyama Cup.
Hhohho Region’s representatives Young Lovers will be lucky to survive knockout- specialists Nsingizini Hotspurs, while Manzini regional champions Colani United will face NFD log leaders Seven Dreams.
Culture
As the tournament is a combination of culture and football, culture groups to participate in the tournament were given songs to use, which are divided into four, being Ingadla, Lutsango, Sibhaca and Poets.
The songs were unleashed by Culture PRO under the SMVAF Cup Sandile ‘Msandi Kababa’ Nxumalo, who announced that under Ingadla they will compete with the song Ligcebesha LeNgwenyama LiseMaveni, Lutsango will use Live Liyafanana, while Sibhaca team will compete with Inyoni Yemasoka, thereafter poets will be praising Their Majesties, either the King or the Indlovukazi.
During the launch, it was announced that prizes for the culture category would be increased. Emajaha and Lutsango champions’ prizes increased from E50 000 to E75 000, while Sibhaca and Ingadla winners will pocket E50 000 each.
An outstanding Imbongi will also get a E25 000 cash prize.
The defending champions are Correctional Services side Green Mamba, who defeated Mbabane Highlanders with a 2-0 score line on March 9, 2020 to win the E1.4m first prize. The finals of this edition are anticipated to be played in early March next year.
The tournament that started in September 2015 has been won three times by Mbabane Swallows, while the fourth edition was snapped by Young Buffaloes and the last one was lifted by Green Mamba.
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