SOCCER – Manzini Wanderers legend and SuperSport analyst William ‘Cool Cat’ Shongwe has disclosed details of an unsuccessful attempt to persuade prominent South African businesswoman Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ to take over the troubled Manzini Wanderers.
Shongwe made the revelations while speaking on the EBIS Weekend Sports Review hosted by Donatus ‘Orthodox’ Zwane.
He explained that although efforts were made to arrange meetings with Mkhize, the discussions never materialised due to her demanding schedule.
“I tried several times to engage MaMkhize regarding a possible takeover at Wanderers. Unfortunately, the appointments were cancelled at the last minute because she is always busy. Congratulations to Mbabane Highlanders, who eventually secured her services.
They must give her a chance and I hope she makes the club a major brand as she did with Royal AM in the PSL. We already saw the impact through their immaculate dress code over the weekend.”
He urged Mbabane Highlanders supporters to rally behind the businesswoman and afford her the respect she deserved.
“People of her calibre are rare. She spends a lot of money running a club without guaranteed income. Instead of criticism, she deserves full support,” Shongwe said.
Meanwhile, the former Wanderers goalkeeper said internal divisions at Manzini Wanderers had driven away potential sponsors and investors.
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“I have spoken to certain potential investors but when they research the club, they find a negative image characterised by infighting and violence. They tell me that they cannot get involved. They feel I want to put them in trouble. That has been a major setback,” he said.
Despite the club’s difficult start to the season, Shongwe expressed confidence that Wanderers would avoid relegation.
“If they find someone with financial muscle and bring in experienced players, the team will stabilise,” he said.
“The poor results came from signing inexperienced players and throwing them into the deep end. However, I am confident the club will survive. It is also encouraging to see club legends playing their part and I must commend the leadership for bringing in Jerry ‘Mbazo’ Gamedze.”
