Simba SC devours Nsingizini in E12mln battle
By Chris Dlamini
(At Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba)
Ns. Hotspurs……… (0) 0,
Simba SC……………(1) 3,
A tougher second leg awaits Nsingizini Hotspurs who will travel to Tanzania hoping for a miracle.
After losing 3-0 at home on Sunday to the feared and respected Simba SC from Tanzania, a deserved win after they created several scoring opportunities, Insingizi Yezulu has a mammoth task away in Tanzania on Saturday.
The group stage dream was heavily hampered with the 3-0 home defeat. However, there is still another 90 minutes for Nsingizini to fight back and earn the slightly over E12 million group stage bounty from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Insingizi, as Nsingizini is also fondly known, conceded in the only added minute before half-time. Breaking the deadlock was Simba SC’s Wilson Nangu who rose above all to nod home from the corner spot.
The goal handed Simba a deserved lead before second-half substitute Kibu Denis Prosper made it 2-0 with under 10 minutes left of regulation time.
Just when many thought it was going to end 2-nil, Khanyakwezwe Shabalala was beaten in a one-on-one situation by Kibu, who sealed his brace with a well-taken edge-of-the-box curled ball into the far bottom corner.
This was enough and they got the first-leg win – 3-0 it finished.
Eswatini nearly celebrated inside the opening 30 but Thubelihle Mavuso saw his volley go inches over from a Kwakhe Thwala low cross. The local side also won a few corner kicks but none could be turned into a goal.
The coach, Mandla Qhogi then rested striker Joel Madondo for Dorfiah Nunadoe and Adeleke Ade for Mvuselelo Mthethwa.
Simba had already been forced to take off Abdala Selemani Mwalimu for Jonathan Sowah during the break due to an injury. He suffered it after a rough tackle by Kwakhe Thwala, and it is from this foul that they won the corner to score.
Meanwhile, Nsingizini must brace for a crowd they have never had before when they meet Simba at home. The Red Lions, as they are fondly known, have a huge fan base and that was evident at Somhlolo National Stadium in the first leg fixture as their supporters nearly packed the main stand on the right side of the country’s soccer Mecca.
If anything, Nsingizini now need to win 4-0 or 4-1 to reach the group stage on a 4-3 or 4-4 aggregate. A 4-4 aggregate score favours Nsingizini to advance on the away-goal rule.
If they win 3-0, that opens the game for them as a penalty shootout will decide who advances. Otherwise, it will be almost miraculous against Simba SC at home. The Tanzanian side is fresh from last season’s TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup finals but got the runners-up spot.
Teams:
Ns. Hotspurs – Khanyakwezwe Shabalala, Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini, Adeleke Ade (Mvuselelo Mthethwa), Joel Madondo (Dorfiah Nunadoe), Thubelihle Mavuso, Kwakhe Thwala (Sambulo ‘Masoso’ Simelane, Sizwe ‘Yeki’ Khumalo, Kingsley Kwakyi, Vuyo Mncina, Nkosingiphile Shongwe, Ayanda Gadlela (Quality Dlamini).
Simba SC – Yakoub Suleiman Ali, Anthony Mligo, Joshua Mutale, Jean Charles Ahoua, Shomari Salum Kapombe, Steven Mukwala, Rushine De Reuck, Naby Camara, Wilson Nangu (Yusuphu Ally Kagoma), Neo Maema, Abdala Selemani Mwalimu (Jonathan Sowa).
