It is official, Manzini Wanderers will be playing in the Premier League in the upcoming season.
This was announced at a joint press conference at Sigwaca House by the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) executive committee and the 16-team league sub-committee, chaired by legal expert Welile Mabuza. Wanderers had not played a single match during the 2024/25 season, due to a prolonged legal battle with Eswatini Football Association (EFA) and the PLE.
PLE Chairman Polycarp Dlamini stated that the decision to reinstate Wanderers’ elite league status and increase the number of Premier League clubs from 14 to 16 – matching the National First Division – was driven by two main factors: a resolution of the EFA General Assembly and a court order instructing EFA to reinstate Wanderers as a Premier League club. Wanderers took their appeal to the highest courts in the country after losing a protest involving Denver Sundowns captain Jimoh Moses.
They initially lost the case at the EFA disciplinary committee and subsequently at the EFA Appeals Board. The rulings led to their relegation from the top tier of local football.
“Football has become more scientific and demands players to feature in a minimum of 40 matches per season. This also ensures better preparation and rewards for our national teams. When exporting players to bigger leagues, one of the first questions asked is how many matches a player participates in on average,” Dlamini said.
He further explained that there would be no relegation from the NFD this season.
However, Premier League strugglers Madlenya and Sidwashini United will enter play-offs with Tambankulu Celtics and Lozitha Spurs, who finished third and fourth in the NFD respectively, to compete for one top-flight slot.
Malanti Chiefs, as MTN NFD champions, and runners-up Amawele, have secured automatic promotion to the Premier League per MTN NFD regulations.
As usual, winners of the four regional Super Leagues will gain promotion to the NFD. Hhohho region has confirmed Msumpe Manchester and Stumbo XI has been promoted from the Manzini region. Mabuza, Chairman of the 16 Teams Sub-Committee, said they had made two recommendations to the PLE regarding promotion and relegation from the next season onwards.
“The first proposal is for the bottom three teams to be automatically relegated to the NFD, with the fourth-from-bottom side entering play-offs with the third, fourth and fifth-placed NFD teams.
The second option suggests relegating the bottom two sides, with the next two teams facing play-offs with positions three, four and five in the NFD,” Mabuza said, emphasising that the objective is to strengthen competition in both divisions.
