TUNIS : SIMBA have one foot firmly planted in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals after securing a crucial 1-0 away victory against CS Sfaxien at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Tunis, Tunisia, today.
The win not only propelled them to the top of their group with nine points from four matches, but it also put them within striking distance of the next stage of the competition.
With this result, Simba now lead the group, closely followed by Bravos do Marquis and Constantine, both tied on six points.
However, CS Sfaxien’s hopes have been dashed. Sitting at the bottom of the table with zero points, their exit from the competition is now inevitable.
No matter the outcome of the remaining matches between Bravos do Marquis and Constantine, either a draw or a win for either team would mathematically eliminate Sfaxien, leaving them with no way to progress—even if they win their two final matches.
The fate of Sfaxien is sealed, and they will be finishing the group stage without any further hopes.
For Simba, the path to qualification is clear.
A single victory in their remaining fixtures would guarantee their place in the quarterfinals.
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With just one more step needed, they are on the verge of achieving their goal, and the excitement of that impending qualification is now within reach.
It was Jean Charles Ahoua who delivered a moment of brilliance with a stunning volley that flew past the CS Sfaxien goalkeeper Dahmen Aymen, who stretched to his fullest but was powerless to stop the strike.
The match, played behind closed doors with no fans in attendance, still held an electric intensity as the players left everything on the pitch.
It all began with a rapid counter-attack, sparked by Che Fondoh Malone, who looked up from the back and launched a perfectly weighted long pass.
The ball soared through the air, finding Leonel Ateba, who expertly controlled it and then squared it to Ahoua, positioned just inside the box.
Ahoua, cool under pressure, controlled the ball with his chest and set himself for the strike.
But as he prepared to unleash his shot, a defender lunged in with a desperate tackle.
Despite the challenge, Ahoua’s focus never wavered.
With a powerful strike, he sent the ball soaring toward the goal.
The goalkeeper, fully extended in a last-ditch effort to make a save, could only watch in helpless despair as the ball flew past him, too fast and too precise to stop.
Though the stands were empty, the force of Ahoua’s goal resonated through the pitch as Simba took the lead, a lead that concluded the first half. In the 83rd minute,
CS Sfaxien came agonizingly close to finding the back of the net with a dangerous set piece that had the potential to change the course of the match.
The set-piece maestro, Habessi Achref, delivered a perfectly placed ball into the box, where his teammate,
Haithem Layouni, met it with a powerful strike.
The tension was palpable as the ball soared toward the goal, but with a heart-stopping moment, it veered just wide of the target, missing by the slimmest of margins.
It was a golden opportunity squandered, a moment of brilliance that slipped through their fingers in a match where every chance counted.
