Forget the home advantage at Wadzanayi Stadium.
Tonight at 8pm, under the floodlights of Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, Simba Bhora will begin their historic journey into the CAF Champions League.
It’s a cruel irony that this defining moment for the ambitious Shamva based club is happening on foreign soil, a direct result of the Zimbabwe's lack of a CAF-certified stadium.
But for coach Joel Luphahla and his squad, this is just another obstacle to overcome on their quest to bring joy back to a football-starved country.
Luphahla was a sea of calm as he addressed his first ever Caf Champions League pre-match press conference, alongside captain Blessing Moyo.
"The team has prepared well,” he said. “The boys' confidence is high because of how they've been playing in the local league. But the local league and the Champions League are two different things. I'm very confident with what these boys can do. The boys are young, the boys are hungry. We are hoping that we raise the flag of the nation. We know that the nation is behind us. And we are here to try and put smiles on the football success-starved nation."
Simba Bhora's opponents are fellow debutants Nsingizini Hotspurs, but Luphahla’s men have a distinct advantage.
With the Castle Lager Premier Soccer league in its final stages, Simba Bhora players are in peak physical condition, while Nsingizini is still shaking off the rust of the off-season.
Luphahla plans to use this edge to secure a significant lead before next week's return leg in Eswatini.
Luphahla’s confidence is bolstered by a secret weapon.
Simba Bhora left back Nomore Tsabora not only played for Nsingizini Hotspurs last season, but won the league with them.
While the Hotspurs have since brought in new players, Tsabora's inside knowledge of their tactics and team dynamics could prove invaluable.
"We don't take Nsingizini lightly," Luphahla cautioned, acknowledging the experience of his opponent's coach, Mandla Qhoki.
"We know that they've got a good coach. He’s been involved in development for the past 18 years."
For Nsingizini, this match is a chance at redemption. Last season, their only prior continental experience ended in a crushing 8-0 aggregate defeat in the Confederations Cup.
Now, under a new coach, they hope to write a different story.
"We prepared well and we are lucky that there is a tournament that we have played back at home... we managed to play four competitive games and we think we did very well and they helped us to prepare for this match," Qhoki said.
"I have done everything in terms of researching what they did wrong in the Confederations Cup and I'm trying to prepare the team better for this competition and the league ahead.”
Beyond the challenge of Nsingizini, Simba Bhora will also face the unfamiliar conditions of playing under floodlights for the first time.
It's a small detail, but one that could impact the flow of the game.
Thankfully, Geo Pomona Waste Management provided a crucial assist, allowing the team to train at night back home to prepare for this moment.
"The mindset might be different, but we've got young boys and young boys adapt easily," Luphahla said.
The former Dynamos assistant said his team's goal is to make a statement win tonight, secure a comfortable lead, and take a huge advantage to next week's return leg.
The winner of the two-legged tie will face either Gaborone United of Botswana or Tanzanian giants Simba SC, with the ultimate prize of a spot in the lucrative group stage on the line.