SIMBA Head Coach Roberto Oliveira congratulated his charges for putting up a spirited performance against Vipers saying collecting maximum points was the achieved target on the day.
The Msimbazi Street Reds cherished a 1-0 victory in a tense CAF Champions League match at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday; the win revived their chance to sail into the quarterfinals.
Clatous Chama made the difference on the day thanks to his timely strike just before the interval which sustained to the last drop of the match.
“It was a difficult game because we needed to win it, my team played very well and we had good ball possession. I am satisfied with the compactness of the midfield. Our opponents relied much on counter-attacks,” he said.
Adding, Oliveira said it was not easy to break the defensive line of Vipers because most time, they were defending in big numbers hence exploring spaces was difficult for his players.
“In the Champions League, there is no easy game hence I need to congratulate the players and technical bench for working together to facilitate this victory. Our objective was three points,” the Brazilian trainer said.
He added that it is not possible for him to change everything within three months period he has been at the helm of the club.
“We must prioritize our strong areas which are good ball possession, playing well, and looking for the space in between lines just like the way we scored our goal,” he insisted.
On his part, Vipers coach Roberto Pelliser said he was annoyed with the results but saluted his players for making an excellent tactical display.
He also pointed out that the challenge of his players not to score goals is there but he cannot invade the pitch to score because the responsibility of scoring is for players and that he can only impart tactical skills for them to score,” he said.
About possible penetration into the quarterfinals, Pelliser disclosed that mathematically, it is impossible for his side to sail into the next phase basing on the results generated from the four fixtures.
As it stands in Group C, Raja Casablanca lead with 12 points after winning all their four matches followed by Simba who have claimed 6 points while Horoya sit on third place after collecting 4 points and Vipers are at the base with a point in the bag.
Simba will remain in Dar es Salaam to host Horoya at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on March 18th in a decisive match that will define their quarterfinals fate.