BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE – Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane has challenged Nsingizini Hotspurs Ladies to carry the national flag with pride and perform well when they represent the Kingdom of Eswatini at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League/COSAFA qualifiers in Gaborone, Botswana.
Nsingizini Hotspurs Ladies are set to make their maiden appearance in the regional competition after winning the 2025/26 Women’s Football League title. The tournament gets underway in Gaborone on Thursday, August 20, with the final scheduled for August 29.
Speaking to the team ahead of its departure, Simelane reminded the players that their assignment goes beyond club football, as they will be representing the entire country.
He urged the players to “work very hard and perform well so to hoist the country flag high,” stressing that the trip should be treated as a national duty.
Simelane said he was optimistic about the team’s chances and assured the players that they would remain in the thoughts and prayers of those back home.
The EFA boss’ message comes as Nsingizini prepares for a difficult Group B campaign against two-time continental champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Mozambique’s Costa do Sol and Malawi champions Silver Strikers.
The group is widely regarded as a tough test for the Eswatini champions, particularly because Mamelodi Sundowns have won the CAF Women’s Champions League twice, in 2021 and 2023.
Nsingizini coach Mpendulo Mawelela, however, is confident that his charges will do the country proud, promising that the team will represent Eswatini well.
Captain Nompendulo Bhembe has gone a step further, declaring that the team intends to progress beyond the group stages.
Bhembe’s confidence follows a historic domestic season in which Nsingizini ended Young Buffaloes Ladies’ long-standing dominance of the women’s game by beating them 1-0 in the league decider.
Meanwhile, EFA Executive Secretary Frederick Mngomezulu announced that the association will provide its bus to transport the Nsingizini players to Gaborone for the tournament.
The gesture is expected to assist the team with its logistical preparations as it embarks on its first regional campaign.
The 2026 qualifiers will feature eight nations, divided into two groups of four.
Group A comprises hosts and defending regional champions Gaborone United of Botswana, Lesotho Defence Force (Lesotho), ZESCO Ndola Girls (Zambia) and Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe).
Group B features Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Nsingizini Hotspurs (Eswatini), Costa do Sol (Mozambique) and Silver Strikers (Malawi).
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, where the four remaining sides will battle for places in the final.
The winners of the semi-finals will then meet in the final, with the tournament winner earning the right to represent the COSAFA region at the CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
The competition is scheduled to run in Gaborone from August 20 to 29, 2026.
For Mawelela and Bhembe, the mission is already clear: compete strongly, progress from the group and ensure that Eswatini’s flag flies high in Botswana.
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(Courtesy Pic)
