SOCCER-NSINGIZINI Hotspurs head coach Mandla Qhogi has sent a bold warning to Moneni Pirates ahead of their highly anticipated PLE Charity Cup semi-final, declaring that no team has ever managed to beat him twice.
The two sides will renew their rivalry at Somhlolo National Stadium on Sunday at 11am, just over a month after Pirates edged the defending league champions 1-0 in the opening match of the 2026/27 MTN Premier League season.
Senanelo Nkambule scored a stoppage-time winner to hand the Buccaneers all three points in that encounter. However, Qhogi believes the upcoming cup clash presents an opportunity for his side to approach the opposition with a different strategy. The Nsingizini mentor described the draw as a good one, insisting that his team was not approaching the encounter with revenge on its mind.
“It is a good draw. It is a cup game and you play anyone given, you don’t have the luxury to choose. They beat us in the first game of the league but we are not going for revenge, but to play our normal game.
“No team has beaten me twice. You can beat me once, maybe because I don’t know your team and the players, but not the second time,” he said. The statement sets the stage for an intriguing encounter between two teams whose rivalry has already produced a competitive contest this season. Nsingizini will, however, have to navigate the semi-final without three players currently attending the national Under-23 team’s full-time camp.
The trio of Luyanda ‘Lux’ Nhlengetfwa, Mthobisi ‘Mvala’ Zwane and Njongo Mazibuko are part of the squad preparing for the country’s TotalEnergies CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Algeria this month. Despite their absence, Qhogi ruled out recalling the players from national duty, revealing that he was satisfied with the available personnel.
“We will not call back national Under-23 players and we have a clean bill of health in our squad to do well in the Charity Cup,” he said.
Meanwhile, Moneni Pirates head coach Selaotse ‘Sly’ Mosala has cautioned against reading too much into his team’s previous victory over Nsingizini, saying cup football presents a different challenge from league competition. The South Africa-born tactician said his immediate attention was on securing a place in the final rather than relying on the result recorded earlier in the season.
“Cup games are different from the league. The league is a marathon and we are not reading too much from our early-season win over Nsingizini.
“We will concentrate fully on this first game with the idea of reaching the final. We are preparing to win the tournament. Every team goes to a tournament to win it,” Mosala said. Pirates head into the competition with confidence after already securing silverware this season by winning the 8Bet Trade Fair Cup against Mbabane Highlanders AM.
The Buccaneers will now be targeting another trophy, but must first overcome a Nsingizini side determined to reach the final. The PLE Charity Cup has attracted renewed interest following its revival after a seven-year hiatus.
The winners of the main competition will pocket E400 000. The semi-final winners will meet in the final at 4pm, with the other last-four encounter featuring Mbabane Highlanders and Ubombo Sugar at 9am.
