AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMBA Sports Club’s French coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa is relieved with a good start in the group stage’s 1-0 away win over Congolese AS Vita to arsenalise African champions, Al-Ahly of Egypt in the CAF Champions League in Dar es Salaam.
Didier believes that their away narrow win was a good start for the Mainland champions to achieve their quarterfinal plans.
Al- Ahly beat Al-Merreikh 3-0 on Tuesday but the win does not worry Didier’s game plan to secure victory before home supporters.
It is to the fact that the country’s flag bearers will have a home ground advantage, relying on a huge support from thousands of fans to fill in the 60,000-seater Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
However according to Simba Head Of Communications, Haji Manara, CAF has only allowed 30,000 people to witness the Tuesday encounter at the Benjamin Mkapa stadium.
Simba opened their group campaign with a vital 1-0 away win against AS Vita Club of the DR Congo while the African champions cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win against Al Merrikh of Sudan on Tuesday.
The Egyptian giants, led by South African coach Pitso Mosimane, were yet to start their group stage fixtures as they were taking part in the Fifa Club World Cup held in Qatar, where they managed to clinch a bronze medal.
Da Rosa has admitted it will not be an easy game against the champions but remained confident they will fight to get something from the fixture.
“It is not going to be an easy ride, every team needs a win and our target is to see we get a win to build on what we achieved in Congo,” he disclosed.
After their Thursday Premier League game against Biashara United in Musoma which they won 1-0, Simba jet back in Dar es Salaam and kick off their preps ahead of their next Tuesday game against Al Ahly according to Manara.
Manara said last time when the two sides met in Dar es Salaam, Simba emerged with a 1-0 victory and believe this time they are going to do the same against the continental giants.
He further disclosed that Simba have begun training on Thursday ahead of their Champions League match against Al Ahly.
Simba defeated Zimbabwe’s FC Platinum 4-0 using the slogan ‘War in Dar’, but this time Manara said the slogan will ‘Total War A Point of No Return’ to ensure they see off the Egyptians giants.
Simba will be taking part in the group stage of the competition for the third time in history and have been drawn in Group A alongside defending champions Al Ahly from Egypt, Vita Club from Congo, and Al-Merrikh from Sudan.
In the other group match, both Al Merrikh and AS Vita will face off seeking their first wins in the campaign at Al-Hilal Stadium on also Tuesday.
Group winners and runners-up advance to the quarter-finals of the marquee African club competition, which carries a $2.5 million (2 million euros) first prize.
Meanwhile Simba players Jonas Mkude, Larry Bwalya, Ibrahim Ame, Erasto Nyoni and Ally Salim who were in stranded DR Congo after their match against AS Vita Club returned home on Thursday and have re-united with their teammates in preparation for Al Ahly game.
