Eswatini champions Nsingizini Hotspurs have received a boost in their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaign after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Zimbabwe’s National Sports Stadium from hosting matches.
The development means Nsingizini’s opponents, Simba Bhora FC, cannot play their home leg in Harare on September 19 and must instead use a neutral venue. South Africa and Botswana are the most likely options under consideration.
The Zimbabwean stadium, the country’s largest sports facility, has a long-standing struggle with CAF compliance. Though it had recently hosted senior national team fixtures following renovations, CAF’s latest inspection ruled it out of the approved list. The decision is part of the organisation’s ongoing process to enforce higher standards across Africa.
Several other nations, including the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Guinea, Lesotho, Namibia, Seychelles, and Somalia, also have no approved stadiums. By contrast, countries such as South Africa, Morocco, and Algeria dominate the list with multiple venues cleared for international use.
Eswatini’s own Somhlolo National Stadium remains among facilities given temporary approval, keeping the kingdom eligible to host CAF-sanctioned matches.
For Nsingizini Hotspurs, the neutral venue ruling alters the dynamics of their preliminary round tie. Without facing Simba Bhora before a home crowd, the Eswatini side enters the fixture with a more balanced chance to progress further in the continental competition.
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