SOCCER – Nsingizini Hotspurs have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Ingwenyama Cup after Mbabane Highlanders were found guilty on all three charges related to the abandoned Last 16 clash between the two sides.
The verdict was delivered by the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Disciplinary Committee chaired by Thulani Sibandze at Sigwaca House last night.
The match, played at Mavuso Sports Centre, was abandoned following crowd disturbances and an alleged assault on the referee.
In its ruling, the committee found Highlanders guilty of causing the abandonment of the match and fined the club E25 000.
The team was also fined E50 000 for assaulting the referee and an additional E3 000 for failing to control its supporters.
However, the sanctions will run concurrently, meaning the club will pay a total fine of E50 000.
Delivering the verdict, Sibandze said the committee relied heavily on video evidence submitted during the hearing.
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“If it was not for the video submitted by Highlanders, we would have been in the dark. It assisted the committee in establishing what took place on the day,” Sibandze said.
Following the ruling, Nsingizini Hotspurs progressed to the quarterfinals of the prestigious knockout competition.
During the hearing, Mbabane Highlanders alleged that the disciplinary process appeared unbalanced.
The club argued that the hearing seemed predetermined before all submissions had been fully considered.
During the proceedings, Sibusiso Manda, representing the league, submitted that the evidence presented by Highlanders was insufficient to overturn the reports submitted by match officials.
Manda said the submissions made by the club’s general manager did little to weaken the credibility of the match officials’ reports.
He further argued that if ordinary fans could invade the pitch due to dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions, it raised concerns about how far direct supporters of a club might go under similar circumstances.
The PLE maintained that the violence at the stadium was initiated by angry Highlanders supporters, although it acknowledged that not all individuals involved could be positively identified as fans of the club.
Highlanders, represented by Nkosingivile Dlamini, strongly disputed the allegations.
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The club argued that the reports relied upon by the prosecution contained claims rather than concrete evidence.
Highlanders further maintained that match reports should ordinarily be presented through witnesses who could be cross-examined, arguing that relying solely on written reports denied them the opportunity to challenge the evidence.
The club also pointed out that the incident occurred during a double-header match involving several teams, including Moneni Pirates, Ezulwini FC, Highlanders and Nsingizini Hotspurs, meaning supporters from different clubs were present at the stadium.
Highlanders also argued that the reports did not specifically identify their supporters invading the pitch or throwing missiles.
Despite these submissions, the disciplinary committee ruled that the available evidence was sufficient to find the club guilty on all three counts.
