SOCCER – Red Rhinos Chairman Sithembiso ‘Ngudze’ Mamba has urged Manzini Wanderers to put their house in order before finalising the status acquisition deal.
As reported earlier, the two parties have reached an agreement over the status. This will see the hub giants remain in the Premier League while Red Rhinos assume Wanderers’ status in the MulaSport National First Division.
The news was met with ululations, tears of joy and chants of “God is great, libuyile liWeseli” among their hordes of supporters. In the wake of the club’s return to the top flight, Mamba advised that there was a need for the hub giants to rebrand in order to avoid a repeat of the situation they experienced last season.
“Yes, I can confirm that we are having talks with Manzini Wanderers Football Club over the status. There are finer details that we still have to conclude and we shall soon hold a press conference to inform the public about the latest developments.
“Before that, we have to formally inform all our stakeholders about the developments.
“And my advice to Manzini Wanderers is that they have to put their house in order lest they find themselves in a similar situation at the end of the season, which we do not want to see happen. We spent two seasons in the NFD and worked very hard to get the team promoted. It is also very expensive to run a club there.
“So Wanderers need to rebrand in order to attract sponsors. They are a big club and should find ways to sustain themselves. Losing their place in the Premier League was not good news for football,” he said.
The crowd-pulling outfit endured a disastrous campaign last season, finishing with only 11 points from 30 matches. It was the worst record in the club’s history since its formation in 1957.
“Everything is in place. We shall be having our end-of-season party. There will be a number of individual awards for the players following their outstanding performances during the past season,” he added.
The Lubombo-based outfit have already won three individual awards during the MulaSport National First Division prize presentation held last Wednesday at Sibane Sami Hotel. Veteran midfielder Sibusiso Mkhonta clinched the Footballer of the Season Award for his stellar performances throughout the campaign.
