‘Players were psychologically fit’ – Benchikha
DAR ES SALAAM: SIMBA coach Abdelhak Benchikha said that his team was wellprepared psychologically, which led to their outstanding performance against Jwaneng Galaxy, beating them 6-0 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.
This remarkable triumph confirmed their place in the CAF Champions League (CAF CL) fourth quarter-final, a record that no other team in the country has achieved.
“I am happy for the performance of my players, they played well and we prepared them well psychologically before the game and we are all happy for this result,” said Benchikha at a post-match briefing.
Simba winded up their group stage mission in second place with 9 points from six games, winning two matches, stamping three draws, suffering one defeat, scoring 9 goals and conceding 2 goals.
At a post-match briefing, Benchikha expressed his happiness with the team’s performance and singled out the team’s playmaker Clatous Chama, who scored one goal, assisted two goals and had an outstanding performance on the day.
“Chama played well and I like him in one against one situation, he is strong and all the players who had the opportunity to play did well,” said the Algerian coach who has succeeded in steering Simba this far in the contest in his debut season.
Striker Kibu Denis also expressed his excitement following their qualification, insisting that they all worked hard to claim the victory.
“I am happy to help my team reach the quarter-finals, it was a must-win game for us and we are all excited, thanks to our fans for coming in big numbers to support us and I think we have given them a good reward,” he said.
On the other hand, Jwaneng Galaxy coach Morena Ramoreboli conceded the defeat saying “We are taking back home great lessons from the match.” He added: “If you look at the results 6-0, you think Galaxy performed bad…but there is more to the game other than the results which have emerged. “We have looked at our team and see our opponents, there are many lessons we have taken that will help us be stronger in the future,” he said.
The Botswana-based side completed the season’s Champions League group stage campaign at the bottom of Group B with 4 points garnered from six matches.
