Football

MBABANE – South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns former stars Neo Maema and Rushine De Reuck will face Nsingizini Hotspurs next month.

The pair plays for Simba SC, who are Nsingizini’s rivals in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League final preliminary round.

The attacking midfielder, Maema, joined Simba SC on a free transfer after leaving Mamelodi Sundowns. The 29-year-old midfield maestro has signed a three-year deal with the Tanzanian giants, marking a new chapter in his career after limited game time at Chloorkop last season.

Neo Maema touched down in Cairo, Egypt, on August 21, 2025, to link up with Simba SC for their pre-season camp. While Simba SC are based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the team often hold training camps abroad, including Egypt, to prepare for the demanding Tanzanian Premier League and TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaigns.

Maema’s move came after his departure from Mamelodi Sundowns, where he struggled for regular starts under Coach Manqoba Mngqithi in the 2024/25 season, appearing in just 15 league games.
His counterpart in defender De Reuck recently shone for Simba after scoring his first-ever goal. The 29-year-old stalwart opened the scoring with a glancing header, six minutes from the first whistle of the match. This was during their 3-0 victory over Fountain Gate in the Tanzanian Premier League last week.

De Reuck joined the ‘Reds of Msimbazi’ on a permanent transfer from the reigning Betway Premiership champions in the off-season. This comes after he spent the latter part of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Israeli outfit Maccabi Petah Tikva FC, in search of ample game time. The ball-playing centre-back penned a one-year deal at Simba, with an option to extend his stay at Dar es Salaam for a further 12 months as per the Foot Africa official website.

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Nsingizini Hotspurs will face ex-Mamelodi Sundowns stars, including Rushine De Reuck (c) in their next CAF Champions League fixture. (Pic: Facebook/Simba SC)