THE MTN Premier League has reached week 9, and if the opening matches are anything to go by, we are in for one of the most electrifying and fiercely competitive seasons in recent memory.
Nsingizini Hotspurs, currently perched confidently at the top of the table, have shown impressive form but even they cannot rest easy — not in a league this unpredictable, this intense and this beautifully chaotic. We also have Sea Birds, who are proving to be a hard nut to crack. To me they are also early contenders.
Then there is Ezulwini United, an unbeaten side that has yet to taste defeat. If anyone thinks their run is a fluke, they may want to reconsider. This team means business and they prove it with every match they play.
And once again, anyone who believed Rangers were winning by luck needs to watch them in action. They have managed to defeat all three of the country’s so-called big teams: Mbabane Swallows, Manzini Wanderers and Mbabane Highlanders. This raises the question of whether these clubs are still the nation’s top teams or simply the oldest.
What has made this season stand out so far is the sheer difficulty of predicting outcomes. I almost feel sorry for anyone betting right now, the league is so unpredictable that picking a winner has become a real struggle. But honestly, that is the true beauty of football.
Gone are the days when one could look at a fixture and casually mark certain matches as routine wins for the so-called ‘big teams’. That luxury does not exist this season. Every team is fighting. Every team is prepared. Every team is capable of causing an upset. And that, for any football lover, is the very essence of sport.
The new arrivals in Amawele, Tambankulu Celtics, returnees Malanti Chiefs and others have been the surprise packages. Rather than being whipping boys or stepping stones for established clubs, they have stepped onto the pitch with hunger, ambition and an almost stubborn refusal to be underestimated. They have elevated the standard, disrupted expectations and in many ways contributed to the freshness that is making this season such a spectacle.
But for all the entertainment and tension that competitive football brings, an unsettling shadow hangs over the league: the rising incidents of violence by fans and even, disappointingly, by some club officials. This is not only disheartening but it is also unacceptable.
It is painful to watch a league so full of promise be tainted by behaviour that has absolutely no place in football. The fights, confrontations, pitch invasions and intimidation tactics are not signs of passion but they are signs of a growing inability to accept results. And this inability is poisoning the experience for everyone involved: players, coaches, match officials, families and the many children who attend games with stars in their eyes, dreaming of one day playing on the same stage.
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Let it be clear: I will not mention names or point fingers at specific clubs. This is not about shaming anyone. It is about urging fans and team officials across the league to reflect deeply on their conduct and the image they are projecting. Football is built on emotion, yes, but also on discipline, respect and sportsmanship. Without those pillars, the beauty of the game collapses.
Every team that steps onto a football field must do so knowing there are only three possible outcomes: a win, a draw or a loss. That is the fundamental nature of sport. You celebrate the wins, you accept the draws and you learn from the losses. What you do not do and what should never be tolerated is resorting to violence simply because the result is not what you wanted or expected.
In a league already proving to be this competitive, the margins are thin, the stakes are high and mistakes will happen. But violence will not change a result. It will not overturn a referee’s decision. It will not make a team suddenly play better. All it achieves is shame, embarrassment and potential sanctions that harm the very clubs these fans claim to love.
The MTN Premier League is giving us some of the best football we have seen in years. The players are doing their part, the teams are raising their game and the competition is fierce. The least fans and officials can do is uphold their end by supporting responsibly, accepting results with maturity and ensuring stadiums remain places of joy, not battlegrounds.
The league is thriving. Let’s not ruin it.
