Joel Luphahla eyes Caf Champions League group stages

SIMBA Bhora coach Joel Luphahla has expressed satisfaction with his team's draw in the upcoming Caf Champions League, where they will face Eswatini's Nsingizini Hotspurs in the preliminary round.

The Shamva-based club, making its debut in Africa's premier club competition, is optimistic about the matchup against a fellow Southern African opponent. The team has set its sights on reaching the lucrative group stages of the tournament.

"It's good for us because we've been drawn with a team from the southern region, a Cosafa team," Luphahla said. "The style of play is not much different from ours."

The coach highlighted a potential advantage for Simba Bhora, noting that the Swazi league has not yet started or is still in its early stages. "We take that advantage because we are better in terms of fitness," he said. "We've competed for eight months now."

Simba Bhora will host the first leg between September 19 and 22, with the return leg scheduled for the following week.

Adding to the club's good news, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has approved the National Sports Stadium to host Champions League and Confederation Cup matches. The stadium, which has been undergoing significant renovations, was cleared on Monday to host these competitions as well as age-group tournaments.

Luphahla also revealed a key strategic advantage. New left-back Nomore Tsabora, who played for Nsingizini Hotspurs last season and helped them win the league title, will provide valuable insight into their former team. "We have a player that was playing there in Nomore, so we are hoping that we can use his influence to make sure that we get all the information that we need," Luphahla said.

The coach confirmed that the club management has set a clear target for the team: reaching the group stages. "For any team that has never played in the Champions League before, the goal is to reach the group stages. If we do, I think we will have achieved our goal," he said.

Should Simba Bhora advance past Nsingizini Hotspurs, they could face the winner of the tie between Tanzanian giants Simba SC and Botswana's Gaborone United for a spot in the group stages.

Before turning their focus to the continental stage, Simba Bhora's immediate challenge is defending their league title after a Chibuku Super Cup exit at the weekend. The team was eliminated in the first round after losing 4-3 on penalties to Dynamos following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Boid Mutukure had given the home side an early sixth-minute lead, only for Felix Hammond to equalise in the 82nd minute, forcing a penalty shootout.

Simba Bhora, who lead the league title race with 10 matches remaining, will travel to third-placed MWOS on Saturday in a crucial fixture. Luphahla's men could drop to second by kickoff if second-placed Scottland, who trail by a point, avoid defeat against ZPC Kariba on Friday.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matchday 25 fixtures

Friday: Scottland v ZPC Kariba (Rufaro).

Saturday: Chicken Inn v Manica Diamonds (Luveve), MWOS v Simba Bhora (Ngoni), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Bikita Minerals (Baobab), GreenFuel v Herentals (GreenFuel Arena).

Sunday: Caps United v Yadah (Rufaro), Triangle v FC Platinum (Gibbo), Highlanders v TelOne (Barbourfields), Kwekwe United v Dynamos (Ascot).