DAR ES SALAAM: SIMBA Head Coach, Fadlu Davids, has cautioned his squad ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup semifinals first leg match against Stellenbosch at New Amaan Complex next Sunday, predicting a highly competitive tie.
Speaking over the weekend, Coach Davids said his team must fight diligently for get positive result at home ahead of the return leg a week later.
He made the comments shortly after Simba’s impressive 3-1 victory over Mbeya City in the CRDB Federation Cup quarterfinals at KMC Complex in Dar es Salaam.
Reflecting on the highly anticipated Confederation Cup semi-final showdown against the South African outfit who have enjoyed a smooth run in their maiden continental campaign Davids stated:
“Of course, we know Stellenbosch well. We’ve faced them several times as a technical team and we know what a strong side they are.”
The South African tactician continued: “We hold them in high regard; they are probably the toughest team we’ve faced in CAF in terms of speed and fitness intensity. They will definitely match us, so we’ll need to be at our best to secure a favourable result in the first leg.”
Davids, who has had a promising start to his tenure with the Msimbazi Street giants, also praised Mbeya City for their performance in Sunday’s quarter-final, noting that they posed a significant challenge despite their Championship League status.
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“Congratulations to Mbeya City they played exactly as we expected: a very competitive side, almost Premier League level, with talented individuals. With their new coach, they’ve implemented a clear structure and I commend them for making it difficult for us,” he said.
He went on to highlight the tactical adjustments made during the match, crediting them for Simba’s improved second-half display.
“There were strong performances from Chasambi, Awesu, Mutale and the fantastic Ateba, who scored. Fernandez returned after a long absence. Duchu, Nouma and Ally Salim also had excellent games. We made eight changes and those players did the job,” Davids explained.
“Of course, we didn’t want to concede early, but I’m pleased with the team’s character and personality to respond quickly, take control and go 3–1 up before halftime.”
Simba reached a milestone after overcoming a twogoal first-leg deficit to knock Egypt’s Al Masry out of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup in dramatic fashion, winning 4-1 on penalties after a 2-0 win in regulation time in Dar es Salaam last Wednesday.
Goals in the first half from Elie Mpanzu and Steven Mukwala gave Simba the cushion they needed to level the tie on aggregate, following their defeat by the same scoreline in the first leg in Suez.
The shootout saw the home side dispatch four welltaken penalties, while Al Masry missed two of their three attempts
