The Eswatini Football Association (EFA) has condemned the recent violence during the implementation of football matches. In a press statement sent to the media houses on Tuesday, 20th December 2022, the EFA stated that the observed emergences of scenes of violence in some of the football matches of the premier league critically threatens the game’s universally envisaged accuracy of the image, its economic viability and most assertively, the safety and security of the stakeholders and consumers of the football product.
“At the very outset, Eswatini Football Association expresses its regret on the unfortunate scene of violence observed in some selected matches and in this regard would like to express a note of empathy and sympathy with all those that have been affected in various ways during and in the aftermath”, read the statement.
Meeting
As an effort to quickly curb this unwanted emergence, a critical meeting for the relevant stakeholders in the organisation and implementation of the matches including match officiation was implemented on Tuesday afternoon. During this meeting, all the critical stakeholders were reminded of their core responsibilities, the conduct and expected performances in the execution of matches to the satisfaction of organizers, the participants, the sponsors and the fans, albeit imperfectly. “It has been agreed that all the applicable stakeholders have to do due diligence as they implement their responsibilities and that relevant structures present to assure the appropriate performance of all capacitation where possible”, read the statement.
Assurance
The EFA assures her stakeholders and the general public of her commitment to address the root cause of the observed unfortunate incidences in order to assure the confidence and reliability of the game as a unifier and core necessity in the livelihood of not only the football fraternity but the entire populace as envisaged by its international governing bodies and proponents.
Responsibility
The EFA and her member associations and associate stakeholders have the primary responsibility of preservation of the good stead, the game of football has placed itself in the centrality of the livelihood of humanity universally. In order to achieve this, there must be appropriate implementation of the matches of the game of football in a manner that upholds the universally envisage truthfulness of the image of the game, its respect, its popularity and the innumerable benefits inherent.