Scottland drew goalless with Nsingizini Hotspurs in Eswatini and went through by one goal to nil on aggregate, reaching the CAF Champions League second preliminary round at the first attempt.
Neville Tengeg scored the only goal of the tie, in the first leg at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. The return in Eswatini produced nothing at either end, which was all Scottland needed.
A home leg in Harare again
The first leg was played at the National Sports Stadium, which CAF cleared to stage continental and international football again after renovation work. Norman Mapeza’s side qualified for the competition by winning the 2025 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, and this is the club’s first campaign in it.
Nsingizini Hotspurs, the champions of Eswatini, had the return at home and needed to win it to go through. They did not manage a goal across the two legs either, and a tie that produced one goal in a hundred and eighty minutes went the way of the side that scored it.
Petro de Luanda next
Scottland meet Atletico Petroleos de Luanda in the second preliminary round. The first leg is due at home between 16 and 18 October, with the return in Angola between 23 and 25 October. The gap of roughly five weeks between rounds gives Mapeza a rare block of preparation time in the middle of a domestic season.
It is a hard draw. Petro de Luanda are one of the most experienced clubs in the competition and have just eliminated UD Songo of Mozambique, while Scottland are two matches into their continental history. The prize is a place in the group stage, which starts in November.
Where to bet: CAF club ties are priced by Premier Bet and Betway, both operating under the Lotteries and Gaming Board, with match result, both teams to score and qualification outrights. Stakes are taken in United States dollars, with deposits through EcoCash and OneMoney. A club with no continental record at all is hard for a book to price, so the qualification market on Scottland is likely to move more on team news than the match result market does. Compare the two books before you stake. Our guide to the best betting sites in Zimbabwe covers licensing and payout times, and there is more in Zimbabwe soccer news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.

