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Simba: Never say never

DAR ES SALAAM: SIMBA Head Coach, Abdelhak Benchikha has expressed optimism that his team will qualify for the quarter-finals of CAF Champions League (CAF CL) .

His assertion comes despite succumbing to a late 0-1 loss from Wydad Casablanca at Stade de Marrakech in Morocco over the weekend. It was the first upset for Simba in the progressing CAF Champions League (CAF CL) group stage that has sent them to the bottom place in group B with two points in three matches.

As the match appeared headed for a goalless draw, a last-gasp strike by Zakaria Draoui dented Simba’s hopes to clinch a third successive draw of the competition as they dropped maximum three points in the end.

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“Everything that happened gives us a way forward to our preparations for the upcoming game. We have seen the areas of our strength and weakness. We will work on the challenges we observed to improve in our next games.” Despite the upsetting result Benchikha lauded his side for impressive performance. “We had a good game as you saw, we played very well only that we could not put the ball into the net… about the performance, I am satisfied but not happy with the results,” Benchikha said.

He added that they still have a chance to qualify for the quarter finals phase if they do well in their remaining three games with two of them at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

His Wydad Casablanca counterpart Adil Ramzi celebrated the outcome saying it was somehow their turning point in the competition after succumbing to two straight defeats beforehand. The Moroccan giants were defeated in their initial matches against Jwaneng Galaxy and Asec Mimosas and as a result were eager for a positive outcome against Simba, who had yet to secure a win in Group B.

“We never gave up, we knew that something could happen any moment into the game…our opponents were equally strong but the most important thing is the three points we have secured today,” he said.

Both Simba and Yanga have picked two points from three Champions League matches and are at the bottom of their groups. Meanwhile, the envoys will have to switch their focus to the Premier League contest, albeit briefly as they play crucial games hunting for essential points.

Simba will welcome Kagera Sugar at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Friday for a sparkling league duel with each side targeting to claim maximum three points. It will be the ninth league match for Simba this season hoping to get back to winning ways after securing a 1-1 draw against Namungo in their previous match at the same venue on November 9th.

The Reds have 19 points in the bag and are trailing their traditional rivals Yanga with 5 points though the former have one game in hand. After Kagera Sugar clash, the Msimbazi street giants will again swiftly switch their minds to prepare for the CAF CL home fixture versus Wydad Casablanca pegged on December 19th.

Similarly, defending champions Yanga will host struggling side Mtibwa Sugar at Azam Complex in the city on Saturday before clashing with Ghana’s Madeama SC at Benjamin Mkapa’s Stadium on Tuesday nest week.