Group stages beckon for Hunt’s Wits

It might be a tournament they did not really want to play in, but Bidvest Wits are on the brink of qualifying for the group stages of the 2019/20 Caf Confederation Cup, following their 2-1 win at UD Songo in Mozambique in the first leg of their final qualifier on Sunday.

Gavin Hunt had stressed the importance of scoring away from home before his side’s departure for Songo, close to the Malawian border with Mozamqique, and his team returned home with two away goals, courtesy of Namibian international Deon Hotto (above), and South African winger Sammehg Doutie.

With footage of the game impossible to come by, it was left to Mozambican newspapers at the ground to report exactly what happened. According to O Pais, Hotto gave Wits the lead in the 16th minute, before UD Songo equalised in the 34th minute through a header from Telinho.

But Wits grabbed the winner in the 54th minute, with the Clever Boys’ Mozambican international Elias Pelembe supplying the pass for Doutie to finish off.

Wits fielded a strong side in Mozambique, including Bafana and Clever Boys captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, Bafana left back Sifiso Hlanti, and striker Gift Motupa.

As for South Africa’s other competitors in this season’s Caf Confederation Cup, Nedbank Cup champions TS Galaxy faced a tricky-looking tie at Nigerian giants Enyimba in the first leg of their play-off.

And it proved that way as Dan Malesela’s GladAfrica Championship side went down 2-0, with goals from Victor Mbaoma and Martins Usule sealing the victory in Aba. TS Galaxy now have it all to do at the Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.