WITH the weekend’s campaigns now behind us, all eyes turn to the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) elections set for this Sunday.
The noise, the promises many of them ‘empty’, have come and gone. Now is the time to choose wisely, boldly and with the future of Eswatini football in mind.
I do not want to believe that votes are being sold. Perhaps that is naïve, but we must not sell out our football, it deserves better. I will not dwell too much on the issue of vote-buying. But know this: if you need to pay for votes to win, you are not fit to lead our football. You might succeed in getting elected but the sport will suffer and real progress will remain out of reach.
The Need for Visionary Leadership in Eswatini Football Elections
To choose wisely is to choose leadership capable of taking our football to the next level.
This is more than just a vote for a president. Delegates are deciding whether Eswatini football continues along a stagnant path or embraces the reform it desperately needs. The stakes are high. What happens this Sunday will shape the game for years to come.
Yet, once again the choices are frustratingly familiar: the same faces, the same ideas and inevitably, the same results. If we are honest with ourselves, we must ask if we can expect different outcomes from the same leadership? My answer is no. But people say change is possible, and I hope for the sake of our football, that it is.
EFA Constitution: The Structural Barrier to Football Progress
This is not an attack on individuals. It’s about a broken system, one that begins and ends with the EFA constitution. As I have said before, the current constitutional framework is outdated and restrictive. It stifles opportunity, discourages innovation and protects the interests of a small inner circle. This is why our elections continue to offer limited choices. It is not due to a lack of talent but it’s because the system is designed to exclude; and the sad part is that it excludes potential candidates who can take our football to greater heights.
Across the country, qualified and passionate individuals and former players, professionals, business leaders are locked out by the same constitution. Not because they lack merit but because eligibility requirements reward insiders and shut out fresh perspectives. This is not democracy. This isn’t progress. This is gatekeeping.
The Urgent Call for Constitutional Reform in Eswatini Football
We cannot keep recycling the same leadership and expect growth. Eswatini football has suffered for years, from poor performances, low morale and missed opportunities.
The root of the problem is structural and it’s by design. Until we reform the constitution, meaningful change will remain a dream.
This election is not just about who leads next but it’s about whether the delegates have the courage to demand more. To vote not out of loyalty or habit, but out of vision and responsibility. We need leaders who understand that constitutional reform is urgent, who will amend the rules to open leadership opportunities to a broader, more diverse pool.
This responsibility begins with those who will assume power. They must look beyond personal benefit and act in the best interest of the game.
Even His Majesty King Mswati III, during the recent Ingwenyama Cup prize ceremony, echoed the nation’s frustration. His words were not ceremonial; they were a serious call for reflection and action. We must not ignore that call but heed it.
A Vision for Eswatini Football’s Future Beyond the Status Quo
Elsewhere in Africa, football associations are evolving. Leaders like Patrice Motsepe rose not from entrenched football bureaucracies but from visionary, results-driven leadership rooted in business acumen. Under our current system, such leaders would not even qualify.
That’s absurd and it’s a failure we must fix.
A better future is possible, one built on competence, integrity and innovation. But we must first dismantle the constitutional barriers that preserve power for the few and limit our football’s potential. The people we elect must take responsibility for this reform.
Final Call to Delegates: Vote for Real Reform in Eswatini Football
To the delegates: the time for ‘empty promises’ is over. The campaigning is done. Now the decision is yours.
This Sunday, you cast a vote that is bigger than politics or personalities. You are voting for the future of Eswatini football, for the players, the coaches, the fans and the dreamers depending on you to make the right call.
Choose wisely. And let that choice mark the beginning of real reform, the first step in reclaiming the promise of Eswatini football.
May the deserving candidates win. Once they win, we will make sure we give them all the support they need to take our football forward. All the best ladies and gentlemen.
