From the first whistle, it was evident Nsingizini Hotspurs wanted to win it more than their opponents and, by God, they did so in emphatic fashion in one of the most one-sided games of the 2024/2025 MTN Premier League season.
Nsingizini recorded their biggest win of the campaign, walloping a hapless Sidvwashini United 5-0 at the Somhlolo National Stadium yesterday afternoon to not only secure their first-ever MTN Premier League title but also to end a 20-year monopoly in the country’s ‘Holy Grail’ competition, previously shared between Mbabane Swallows and the three security service sides: Royal Leopard, Young Buffaloes and Green Mamba.
Founded in 1984 in the rural Nsingizini community of Hluti, the club has etched its name into football history by becoming the seventh recipient of this storied MTN title since the era began in the 2002/2003 season.
Yesterday’s result means Sidvwashini, who carried reed-thin hopes of survival heading into this encounter, are officially relegated from the elite league. They will now join Madlenya in the feeder MTN National First Division.
Surprisingly, the game went into the break goalless despite wave after wave of Nsingizini attacks. As their coach Simon Ngomane aptly put it in his pre-match interview, they were “smelling the league crown like sniffer dogs.” It was a one-sided affair, with the Nsingizini goalkeeper effectively a spectator for at least 79 minutes the only time he was called into action being to block a goal-bound shot from Sidvwashini’s number three with a sliding right leg.
As early as the third minute, Nsingizini had their first sniff at goal, with man-of-the-match Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini’s diving header missing Siyabonga Zwane’s left upright by inches following a Sinenkhosi ‘China’ Dlamini delivery from the right. Two minutes before the quarter-hour mark, Sidvwashini stopper Zwane was called into action again this time producing a daring save to deny Ayanda Gadlela the opener. Gadlela had connected expertly with a header from an inviting Kwakhe Thwala cross.
In the 17th minute, Zwane made a double save: first parrying a Gadlela effort, played in by the impressive Thubelihle Mavuso, then saving from Shabashi moments later. In the 26th minute, he pushed a thunderous Thwala attempt from distance out for a fruitless corner.
After the break, however, Sidvwashini finally crumbled and there was no withstanding the relentless waves of attack.
Gadlela broke the deadlock two minutes before the hour mark, sliding home from a low ‘China’ cross after impressive work by Sambulo ‘Masoso’ Simelane, who had been introduced at the restart. Six minutes later, ‘Masoso’ added his name to the scoresheet his seventh goal of the season blasting in from close range after Zwane had parried a Kwakhe strike into his path.
With his very first touch after replacing Yekisizwe ‘Yeki’ Khumalo, Reagan Kangumbu hammered in Nsingizini’s third goal of the afternoon in the 85th minute, before fellow second-half substitute Mvuselelo Mthethwa netted the fourth with just a minute of regulation time remaining.
‘Masoso’ not only completed his brace in the first of four added minutes but also sealed the Sidvwashini onslaught with the fifth goal—arriving at the back post to finish off a perfectly lofted ball into the area from Thubelihle.
At the sound of referee Thulani Sibandze’s final whistle, celebrations erupted, with management joining players in song on what was a jubilant day for the ever-growing Nsingizini family. The drums were loud, and the roughly 1 000 Nsingizini supporters who had travelled danced all the way back to Shiselweni, knowing their club had made history.
Club President Derrick Shiba was quick to assure their throngs of supporters that the club would definitely participate in the CAF Champions League, Africa’s premier club competition. Football Association President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane, PLE Chairman Polycarp Dlamini and MTN Eswatini CEO Wandile Mtshali, among other dignitaries, handed over the coveted trophy, E1 million replica cheque, and most importantly the CAF Champions League ticket to Nsingizini.
