Manzini Wanderers a club reborn

“Hhayi, hhayi, hhayi,” sarcastically chanted Manzini Wanderers supporters as their Mbabane Highlanders counterparts were throwing missiles onto the Somhlolo National Stadium pitch on Sunday. The Highlanders fans were protesting some of the match officials’ decisions as they were going 1-0 down to their rivals. Of course the great irony of those chants is that Wanderers fans have their own chequered history with violence.

However those chants also symbolized the new Manzini Wanderers. There is an aura of change and new beginnings at the club. On Sunday, as they won for the fifth time in a row in the MTN Premier League, you could feel the air of excitement around the club. The Wanderers supporters gathered to dance near the dressing rooms as the last match of the day between Young Buffaloes and Mbabane Swallows ended.

It felt as though they were celebrating more than their earlier victory. There was a feeling they were also celebrating change, the beginning of a new era led by the cool head that is coach Nyangayezizwe ‘Crooks’ Hlophe. Hlophe had declared after their hard fought victory over Red Lions the previous Saturday that Highlanders would not beat his side by four goals again. His words came true on Sunday. The win moves Wanderers within seven points of leaders Swallows and five of second placed Buffaloes. Surely now the Weslians are in the title race mix.

They have a coach in ‘Crooks’ who will keep them grounded. Hlophe has seen it all and is a former title winner himself with Swallows. His puzzle is slowly coming together at the Hub side and his firm hand and tactical nous has the Wanderers fans daring to dream. He has the players dancing to his beat. Even experienced forward Mfanafuthi ‘Taribo’ Bhembe had to watch the entire match on Sunday from the bench, with Hlophe telling us, journalists, after the match that the striker hadn’t trained enough to warrant a place in the team. Reputations alone don’t cut it for Hlophe.

‘Crooks’ is a man of bold calls but now Wanderers need to build on this momentum. They might have won five in a row but no trophy has been won yet. Hlophe declared after Sunday’s win that he was already preparing his side for the upcoming Ingwenyama and SwaziBank Cups. Wanderers need to win at least one piece of silverware this season to keep the fires burning. Swaziland needs one of her grandest sides dining at football’s top table again. Wanderers are surely on the way up. They just need to maintain it now.