Eswatini champions explain Sundowns choice for friendly

Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs FC have explained why they chose Mamelodi Sundowns for Saturday’s friendly match in South Africa.

The MTN Premier League kings date the Betway Premiership champions at Bafokeng Sports Campus in Rustenburg, as both sides step up preparations for the next season.

Hotspurs Chief Executive Officer, Banele Ngobe, told the South African Broadcasting Corporation that his club is holding a pre-season camp in South Africa to learn from the best opponents such as Sundowns.

“We are playing with the opposition that is also in the same CAF Champions League competition to ensure our players are aware of the challenges ahead,” he said.

“The main aim is that our players must learn from the best. These are very competitive sides. For us to compete, we need to gauge ourselves against the best and it doesn’t get any better than Sundowns who have just come from the FIFA Club World Cup.”

Ngobe added that Hotspurs wants to become a dominance force in Eswatini football and Africa, with their next goal being that of competing strongly in the CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup.

“The leadership of the team has given us the mandate to go to the group stages of the Champions League, we want to win one of the cups and defend the domestic league title,” the CEO explained.

The Eswatini side drew one-all against Sekhukhune United on Friday and now look to face Sundowns.

Hotspurs won the league title for the first time last season, and want to build on that in the next campaign.