Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi-Zimpapers Sports Hub
NSINGIZINI Hotspurs coach Mandla Qhogi has warned Scottland to expect a completely different challenge when the two sides meet in the decisive second leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary round tie at Somhlolo Stadium in Eswatini on Saturday.
The Eswatini football kings head into the return fixture trailing 1-0 after Cameroonian Neville Tengeg’s second-half strike handed Scottland their narrow victory at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
However, Qhogi believes the tie remains wide open, especially after his side battled bravely for most of their Harare visit with 10 men following the third minute dismissal of defender Kingsley Kwakyi.
Qhogi, whose side won a treble in Eswatini, drew confidence from the team’s 2025 CAF Champions League campaign when they overturned a first-leg deficit against Zimbabwean opponents Simba Bhora to advance to the next round.
Nsingizini lost the first leg 1-0 before bouncing back in the return fixture, forcing a penalty shootout after levelling the aggregate score at 1-1. They eventually prevailed 4-2 on penalties.
“I think when they come home, finding 11 players, they’ll find a different story. I’ll ask them to call Simba Bhora and ask for a plan, because we’re not going to be an easy game. We’re making sure that we want to progress,” said Qhogi.
“Simba Bhora might give them a good plan. I know they’ve got a few colleagues that are working for Simba Bhora. Maybe they will come with a better strategy.”
Despite being reduced to a man down in just the third minute, Nsingizini Hotspurs remained disciplined and organised, frustrating Scottland for long periods and limiting the Zimbabwean champions to a slender advantage.
Scottland enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territorial dominance in the first leg, buoyed by a passionate home crowd. But they struggled to break down the visitors until Tengeg struck midway through the second half.
Qhogi felt the red card had a significant influence on the execution of their game plan and felt the decision was a bit harsh.
Kwakyi was dismissed after a dangerous challenge on Scottland defender Moses Shidolo, a call that forced the visitors to abandon their original game plan in favour of a more defensive approach.
“I don’t know, I’m not a match official, but I would say maybe he should have given him a yellow card because it’s a first offence and it’s the beginning of the match.
“I don’t think it was that reckless, but the match official saw it in a different way, but there’s nothing we can do at this present moment. We have to soldier on and make sure that we go home and do our corrections and come back with a better plan. I think, for my players, I think they’ve done well if we managed to keep possession at some situations when we’re less men, and we’ve put them under pressure in a few
While Nsingizini remain optimistic, Scottland coach Norman Mapeza has also cautioned against complacency.
The former Warriors captain admitted his side had missed an opportunity to put the tie beyond doubt by failing to fully exploit their numerical advantage.
“I’ve been in this situation before. I cannot open up my bag now and say out everything,” said Mapeza.
“Like I said, immediately after the game, I am already planning what we need to do when we get there.
“It’s not like I’m celebrating (after winning 1-0). For me, I don’t have time to celebrate. After the game, of course I’m happy. Then after that, it’s about the next game. It’s about the next game.”
Cognisant of the challenge awaiting them in Eswatini, Scottland are leaving nothing to chance.
The Zimbabwean champions were scheduled to depart for South Africa yesterday to set up a training base before making the short trip from that country into Eswatini.
“We need to be very cautious. We are carrying a 1-0 lead. In football, you never know what is going to happen. If we go there, organised in terms of defence, maybe we still come back home with another 0-0. But we need to plan. We really need to plan,” said Mapeza.
Mapeza also urged his players to prepare for the psychological games often associated with continental football, warning that the battle could extend beyond events on the pitch.
“We plan, then God decides. We go there with a positive mind. We are carrying a 1-0 lead. It’s not going to be easy when we go there. You see what they’ve been doing before the game and whatsoever.
“Those mind games will come at hand when we get there. So, we need to be psychologically prepared for all when we go there,” said Mapeza.
