Zimbabwean champions Simba Bhora were dramatically eliminated from the CAF Champions League yesterday, bowing out 4–2 on penalties to Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs following a tense first preliminary round second leg at Somhlolo Stadium.

The tie, which Simba Bhora had entered with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg played in Francistown, Botswana, ended 1-1 on aggregate after the hosts snatched a crucial stoppage-time goal to level the contest.

The Zimbabwean Premier Soccer League (PSL) title holders failed to protect their lead in Eswatini, conceding the equaliser in the dying minutes which forced the match into the lottery of a penalty shootout.

The hosts held their nerve from the spot, converting four clinical penalties, while Simba Bhora faltered twice, sealing their early exit from the continental competition.

Nsingizini Hotspurs will now advance to face Tanzanian powerhouse Simba SC in the second preliminary round, with a coveted group-stage spot at stake.

For the Shamva-based Simba Bhora side, the focus now shifts back to their domestic campaign.

However, the defeat at the hands of a team from Eswatini has reignited concerns over the declining standards of Zimbabwean football.

The country, which once consistently sent two clubs into the CAF Champions League and saw giants like Dynamos famously reach the final, is now struggling with a crisis of performance on the continental stage, highlighted by the premature elimination of its reigning champions.