Government’s latest sports incentive payout has sparked debate after Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 final match official Letticia Viana missed out on a potential E50 000 reward, despite being part of the officiating team at Africa’s biggest football showpiece.
Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bongani Nzima disbursed a total of E305 000 to medal-winning athletes from recent regional and continental competitions during a handover ceremony at his offices in Mbabane.
The beneficiaries included athletes from taekwondo, netball and football, with taekwondo dominating the payouts following an impressive medal haul.
However, Viana’s omission drew attention after it emerged that, had she been classified as an athlete rather than a technical official, she would have qualified for a continental gold incentive of E50 000 under the existing policy.
Viana was part of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team for the AFCON 2025 final between hosts Morocco and Senegal, played on January 18 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The match, officiated by Democratic Republic of Congo referee Jean Jacques Ndala, went into extra time before Senegal clinched a 1-0 victory. Ndala, one of Africa’s most respected referees, handled both the tournament’s opening match and the final, while Viana served as assistant VAR 1 and received a gold medal during the official presentation.
Her appointment marked a significant milestone for local officiating on the continental stage, reinforcing the country’s growing footprint in elite football administration.
Despite this achievement, she was excluded from the incentive scheme, which currently applies strictly to athletes.
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Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council (ESRC) Communications Officer Dumisani Ntiwane clarified that the incentive framework was never intended to include technical officials.
“The said official is not the first to officiate at tournaments of this magnitude. We have seen many technical officials representing the country well at continental, regional and world competitions,” Ntiwane said.
“His Majesty’s Government recognises and rewards only excelling athletes. This programme is designed to motivate, recognise and honour outstanding athletic performance.”
While the explanation brought clarity, it also highlighted growing questions around whether the current incentive model adequately reflects the evolving landscape of sport, particularly the increasing prominence of team sports and technical excellence.
During the same ceremony, Nzima openly called for a review of the incentive structure, urging the ESRC to adopt a fairer and more responsive approach, especially for team disciplines such as football and netball.
Under the existing framework, athletes earn E20 000 for gold, E10 000 for silver and E5 000 for bronze at regional level, with the figures rising to E50 000, E30 000 and E15 000 respectively for continental competitions.
Crucially, these amounts remain fixed regardless of whether the medal is won by an individual athlete or a full team.
“The policy is well-intentioned, but it needs refinement,” Nzima said.
“Team sports require collective preparation, extended training camps, logistics and the management of larger squads. These realities should be reflected in how incentives are calculated.”
He stressed that the call for reform was not meant to diminish individual achievements, but rather ensure balance and fairness as team sports begin to record meaningful success internationally.
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The Quarter One 2026 payouts were driven largely by taekwondo’s dominance at the African Taekwondo Open Series Zone 6, where seven athletes claimed gold medals, each receiving E20 000.
A further 11 silver medallists pocketed E10 000 each, while seven bronze medallists received E5 000 apiece.
Team sports, however, received comparatively modest rewards. The Men’s National Netball Team earned E15 000 after securing bronze at the Africa Netball Cup 2025, while the Under-15 Boys National Football Team received E5 000 for their third-place finish at the CAF African Schools Football Championship (COSAFA).
“As team sports begin to make their mark internationally, our systems must evolve to support and reward that progress,” Nzima said, adding that he had challenged the ESRC Board and management to urgently explore revised incentive models.
