Africa-Press – Tanzania. SIMBA SC produced a gritty, disciplined second-half display to secure a 1-1 draw against Atlético Petróleos de Luanda on Saturday, a result sparked by the tactical interventions of head coach Steve Barker.
Down a man and trailing away from home, the “Msimbazi Reds” looked to be facing a grim exit.
However, the second-half resurgence ensured Simba protected their continental pride and avoided a group stage “double” at the hands of the Angolan giants.
Simba’s left-back Antony Mligo credited Barker’s locker-room talk for shifting the momentum.
Despite the adversity of the first half, Barker identified structural weaknesses in the Petro de Luanda defence that Simba could exploit through increased intensity.
“Despite the difficulty of the match, the instructions we received from the head coach at half-time made the difference,” said the Simba SC defender, crediting the coach’s influence on the team’s improved secondhalf display.
Simba travelled to Angola fully aware that their chances of reaching the quarter-finals were slim, but the overriding mission was to protect the club’s pride and avoid defeat on the road.
The task was made significantly harder following a first-half red card shown to veteran defender Shomari Kapombe. Rather than collapsing, Mligo noted that the dismissal served as a catalyst for the squad.
“The red card pushed us to fight more. We refused to use being a man down as an excuse.”
ALSOEAD: From comfort to collapse•••Simba surrender two-goal lead in 2–2 draw
That message was reinforced by Simba’s Information and Communications Manager, Ahmed Ally, who said the team knew exactly what was at stake before kickoff.
“We came here knowing that our chances of reaching the quarterfinals were narrow, but we came to fight for the pride of Simba,” Ally said.
“Our aim was to make sure we did not lose all three points.” Ally insisted that losing twice to the same opponent in the group stage was never an option for a club of Simba’s stature.
“We were not ready to see Simba lose this match and we were not ready to see Simba lose two matches to the same team in the group stage. That has never happened and we are not prepared to see it happen for the first time,” he added.
Assessing the two-leg outcome, Ally accepted that the results were fair given Simba’s inconsistent form this season.
“They beat us at home, we draw away and considering the season we have had, these are fair results. They failed to beat us here,” he said.
Mligo revealed that Barker’s half-time talk proved pivotal.
He explained that the coach identified weaknesses in the opposition and urged the players to remain calm, disciplined and effective on the counter-attack.
“The match was tough. They were pushing hard for qualification, but at half-time the coach told us to calm down, showed us their weaknesses and we increased our intensity. That is how we got the equaliser,” Mligo said.
He also admitted that Shomari Kapombe’s first-half red card was a major blow, but one that ultimately strengthened the team’s resolve.
“The red card affected us, but it also pushed us to fight more and not use being a man down as an excuse,” he said, again crediting Barker’s guidance.
Midfielder, Clatous Chama expressed optimism about Simba’s future, stressing that continued improvement would come with time and cohesion.
“We have new players and a new coach. If we keep listening to him and following instructions, we can become much better,” Chama said.
In Group D, Simba remain bottom with two points. Stade Malien lead with eight points, followed by Espérance Sportive de Tunis on six, while Atlético Petro de Luanda also have six but sit third on goal difference.
