SOCCER – Mbabane Highlanders have formally written to the Ingwenyama Cup Management Committee (MC) requesting a replay of their abandoned Last 16 fixture against Nsingizini Hotspurs.
The match, played on Saturday at Mavuso Sports Centre, was halted in the 91st minute after crowd trouble erupted.
Highlanders fans invaded the pitch and allegedly assaulted referee Celumusa Siphepho, forcing the official to abandon the game on safety grounds.
In a letter leaked to this publication, Highlanders argue that the match was not completed and that a decisive moment late in the game remains unresolved.
At the time of the abandonment, the score stood at 0-0. The club maintains that an alleged goal had not been confirmed before play was stopped, making it improper to determine the outcome without the remaining minutes being played.
“This letter serves as a formal request to the MC of the Ingwenyama Cup for a replay of the abandoned Last 16 match between Mbabane Highlanders AMFC and Nsingizini Hotspurs,” the letter reads.
Highlanders base their request on Rule 18 of the PLE Compliance Manual, which provides that should a match be abandoned by the referee for safety or security reasons, the remaining minutes of the match must be resumed on a date, time and venue agreed upon by the participating clubs immediately upon abandonment.
The agreed date and time, they argue, should be within 48 hours, subject to approval by the PLE.
The club further argues that if the referee’s report is inconclusive regarding responsibility for the abandonment, the matter should be urgently referred to the appropriate disciplinary structures to determine whether the match should be resumed or replayed.
They cite Clause 18.3.1 of the PLE Compliance Manual, read together with Articles 13 and 14 of the Ingwenyama Cup Rules and Regulations.
According to their interpretation, these provisions empower the Match Committee to refer any matter to the Executive Committee of the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) for advice or fact-finding where necessary.
Highlanders contend that the Ingwenyama Cup regulations do not expressly provide procedures in cases of match abandonment, making it appropriate to apply Article 18 of the PLE Compliance framework.
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They have urged the MC to consider this route to ensure fairness and procedural integrity.
In addition, the club cautions against relying solely on the referee’s report as conclusive proof of fault.
They argue that doing so would be unjust, particularly given what they describe as poor officiating throughout the match.
“The match was abandoned when the score was 0-0 as regular time had not been completed and the alleged goal was not confirmed,” the letter states.
“It would be unjust to rely exclusively on the referee’s report in light of the extremely poor officiating that spoiled the game. Both teams remained on the field of play until the referee decided to abandon the match.”
The Highlanders’ position is that, in the interest of sporting fairness, the fixture should either be replayed in full or resumed from the point at which it was halted, in accordance with the applicable rules.
When reached for comment, Ingwenyama Cup MC Chairman Comfort Shongwe said the committee was still awaiting official documentation before making any determination.
“Nothing so far on my side as we are still awaiting the reports,” he said.
