Benchikha: Wydad game do or die

DAR ES SALAAM: SIMBA coach Abdelhak Benchikha has branded their next CAF Champions League (CAF CL) match against Wydad Casablanca as a finale saying “it is a must-win game for us.”

He made the remarks at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam yesterday upon landing back from Morocco where they engaged Wydad Casablanca in their third champions’ league group stage match.

The Reds host the Moroccan side on Tuesday next week (December 19th) at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam for their fourth fixture of the campaign and a victory on the day will award them five points in four matches and help them stay in pole position.

“Our fans should come in big numbers to support us against Wydad Casablanca because it is a final match to us, it is our first final…we have to win, if we do not win, we stay with two points which cannot help us to qualify,” Benchikha said.

“In a football team, there are always problems we have to correct, we have to make corrections and I have confidence in my players but they must rise and score.”

Moreover, he gave credit to his charges for the way they played against the Moroccan giants saying tactically, they did a good job as they were not afraid to go into the opponents’ zone to press.

“We lacked a bit of concentration in the last minutes of the match…the referee added three additional minutes but we played six minutes, it is not normal.

“But I am happy for the improvement in the team as each player is working hard and we were also good at the midfield but we have problems in attacking, we must concentrate.

“Our strikers make a lot of effort during matches but we lack goal-scoring efficiency… I need to see goals, we have not scored in three matches against ASEC Mimosas it was a penalty, against Jwaneng Galaxy we did not score as well as against Wydad Casablanca,” he said.

Meanwhile, as it stands in group B, ASEC Mimosas are on the top spot with seven points followed by Jwaneng Galaxy with four points while in third place are Wydad Casablanca with three points and Simba at the base with two points.

Already, the Msimbazi street-based club indicated that their CAF CL target of the season is to reach the semi-finals.

Before welcoming the Moroccan side, the Reds will face Kagera Sugar in the Premier League match at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Friday.