Africa-Press – Tanzania. SIMBA SC Head Coach, Steve Baker, has described his side’s CAF Champions’ League Group D encounter against Espérance Sportive de Tunis as a crucial mission as the Tanzanian side prepare for today’s away fixture at Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Rades, Tunisia.
The South African tactician made the remarks during a pre-match interview held on Wednesday in Tunisia, where he acknowledged the importance of the contest for both teams as they seek to revive their group-stage campaigns.
Baker noted that neither Simba nor Espérance have enjoyed an ideal start to the group phase, making today’s match pivotal in shaping their qualification prospects.
“This is a critical game for both Simba and Espérance,” Baker said. “If you look at the group standings, neither side has managed to register a win so far. That makes this match extremely important for both teams.”
Espérance have collected two points from their opening two matches and currently sit third in Group D, having drawn 0–0 with Stade Malien before salvaging a 1-1 draw away against Petro de Luanda in their most recent outing. While unbeaten, the Tunisian giants are still searching for their first victory of the campaign.
Simba, meanwhile, have endured a difficult start to their continental journey. They opened their group stage with a narrow 1–0 home defeat from Atlético Petróleos de Luanda before suffering a 2–1 loss against Stade Malien in their second fixture, leaving them at the bottom of the table without a point.
Despite the challenging position, Baker remains optimistic that his side can turn their fortunes around, starting with today’s encounter.
“It is our responsibility to pick up points in this match and in the coming fixtures if we are to remain in contention for qualification to the knockout stage,” he said. “We know what is at stake and we are prepared to fight for it.”
The Simba coach also expressed confidence in his squad, citing improvements made during the recent transfer window as a key factor behind his belief.
“We strengthened the team during the transfer window and I am confident that the players we brought in will make a positive impact,” Baker added. “The squad is improving and we believe we have what it takes to compete at this level.”
While Espérance will be eager to capitalise on home advantage and secure their first win, Simba travel to Tunisia with growing belief following solid preparations and renewed confidence in their continental credentials.
A positive result in Rades, particularly a victory, would reignite Simba’s hopes of qualification and inject fresh momentum into their campaign as the battle for quarterfinal places intensifies.
