Simba roar to Group A summit

DAR ES SALAAM – SIMBA are through to the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals as group leaders, following a composed 2-0 victory over CS Constantine at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

A dominant second-half display, crowned by goals from Kibu Denis and Leonel Ateba, propelled them to 13 points topping Group A. Constantine finished second with 12 points.

Both teams advance to the quarterfinals. F.C. Bravos finished third with seven points and CS Sfaxien, despite a 4-0 win yesterday, remained at the bottom of the group with three points. The breakthrough came in the 61st minute, when Kibu Denis opened the scoring after a beautifully crafted team move.

Fabrice Ngoma initiated the play in midfield, delivering a perfectly weighted pass to Elia Mpanzu. With a swift first touch, Mpanzu set up Denis, who, with clinical precision, slotted the ball past Constantine goalkeeper Zakaria Bouhalfaya to give Simba the lead.

Simba doubled their advantage in the 79th minute through relentless pressure. Jean Charles Ahoua delivered a sharp, low cross into the box, where Leonel Ateba controlled the ball with composure before calmly firing it into the net, securing the win for Simba.

Sunday’s victory marked Simba’s fourth win in the group stage, with three of those coming at home and one away. Additionally, they recorded one draw and one loss in the group stage.

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It was also a fitting response for Simba, who had previously lost 2-1 to CS Constantine in their last encounter. Despite their impressive second-half performance, Simba dominated much of the first half but squandered several key chances. In the 16th minute, Jean Charles Ahoua unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box which was well saved by CS Constantine’s goalkeeper, Zakaria Bouhalfaya.

Constantine responded in the 27th minute with a counterattack, led by skipper Brahim Dib. As Dib found space to fire a shot on goal, the alert Shomari Kapombe raced into position and made a perfectlytimed clearance to avert the danger. Simba quickly retaliated two minutes later.

Mohammed Hussein cut in from the left flank and sent a crosscum-shot toward the goal. To everyone’s surprise, the ball dipped and rattled off the crossbar, sending a wave of relief through the Constantine defence.

As the first half drew to a close, Ahoua delivered a well-placed free kick into the box, where Fabrice Ngoma made a desperate lunge to connect. Unfortunately, Ngoma’s stretch was just off-target and the ball sailed wide, leaving Simba frustrated.