COSAFA top scorer crowned Eswatini’s best player

Eswatini national football team striker, Sabelo Sikhali Ndzinisa, may have just built up to his 31st birthday in glory, albeit three days earlier, after bagging the prestigious 2021/22 MTN Premier League of Eswatini player of the year award at an awards ceremony held at Esibayeni Lodge on Thursday night.

The Mbabane Highlanders goal poacher’s phoenix rise soared to even greater heights pocketing R15 000, bringing his awards money collection to just over R35 000. He recently won the golden boot award from the just ended Hollywood Bets Cosafa Senior Men challenge.

Fresh from the Cosafa tournament glory, where he pocketed R20 000 for topping the scorers’ chart, the Mbabane Highlanders striker added another fifteen thousand and a coveted trophy, edging league champions Royal Leopard matchmaker Junior Magagula in what could go down as the closest race ever.

It would seem no amount of agony will ever stop Ndzinisa from glory, having survived a career-threatening head injury six years ago and now seeing through the tail end of his two-year SAFA ban from South African leagues and to the contrary, such pain could be the inspiration energy for him.

If one had really thought the shadows of the dreaded two-year ban from the game in SAFA-administered leagues meted almost two years ago for double contract signing with two South African sides, Mbombela United and TS Sporting could have stopped Sikhali, his return to his home country may have proved to be that proverbial phoenix rise.

At the behest of his benefactor Chief Ally Kgomongwe the Mbabane Highlanders director, Ndzinisa was lured back to Eswatini’s most decorated giants, whom he guided back into continental football campaign due to kick off in September with his goal-scoring astuteness.

He continues to blossom – like wine getting better with age, and there’s no substitution for experience.

MTN PLE AWARDS & PRESENTATION

BEST GOALKEEPER – Khanyakwezwe Shabalala (Mbabane Highlanders) E9 000

BEST COACH – Edwin Matsebula (Royal Leopard) E10 000

BEST PRO – Mancoba Mabuza (Mbabane Swallows) E5 000

BEST PLAYER – Sikhali Ndzinisa (Mbabane Highlanders) E15 000

TOP GOAL SCORER – Sandile Gamedze (Young Buffaloes) E12 000

26 goals

By Munyaradzi Munzabwa 

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