AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIAN envoys Simba roared to CAF Champions League quarters following a brilliant 4-1 victory over AS Vita of Democratic Republic of Congo at Benjamin Mkapa stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
The victory has assured Simba to finish top of Group A standings with unassailable 13 as their closest pursuers Al Ahly of Egypt will reach 11 points if they win their Day 6 match against Simba in Cairo. Al Ahly’s run for the top position was dealt a blow after sharing spoils with El Mereikh in the four-goal thriller in Khartoum.
The 4-1 victory Simba stamped yesterday, however stained Aishi Manula record as the group’s safest hands he had played over 390 minutes without conceding a goal. Still Simba have remained the only unbeaten team in Group at the end of the Day 5 matches.
Goals from Luis Miquissone, Larry Bwalya and a brace from Clatous Chama helped Simba to claim vital victory against the Congolese giants. Simba were the first to open their goal account in the 30th minute through Luis Miquissone who slammed home Morrison’s pass past the AS Vita keeper.
The Ghanaian forward had rounded two defenders before cutting in the ball to the scorer. But it took AS Vita just two minutes to level the score through Zemanga Soze’s grass cutter from just outside the box.
The ball hit the side bar before finding its way past Aishi Manula. Chriss Mugalu squandered two golden chances in the 35th and 40th minutes that could have given his team a comfortable lead. A few seconds to the breather, Simba’s Clatous Chama scored his team’s second goal completing Mugalu and Miquissone’s efforts. Both teams came back rejuvenated with AS Vita looking determined to level the score.
During this period Simba brought in Meddie Kagere who replaced Chriss Mugalu and at the same time Larry Bwalya came in to replace Bernard Morrison. The changes seemed to benefit Simba as it bolstered their striking force.
It was in the 68th minute when Larry Bwalya netted the third goal for Simba after slamming a home Chama’s pass. Simba’s goal festival continued in the 82nd minute when Chama netted the fourth goal completing Miquissone assist. A few minutes to the stoppage time Simba decided to call in Francis Kahata for Chama while Hassan Dilunga came in to replace Miquissone.
The Simba-AS Vita was attended by only 10,000 fans due to the restrictions imposed by CAF due to Coronavirus threat. In Sudan, Al Ahly came from two goals down to stamp a 2-2 draw with El Mereikh in another Group A match of the CAF Champion League.
Ramadan Agab scored the opener for the Sudanese in the 28th minute before Seif Eldin Babalia netting the second in the 36th minute. EL Mereikh were leading 2-0 at the end of the first half.
The Sudanese giants’ comfortable lead was threatened in 81st minute Al Ahly scored their opener through defender Badr Benoun. The Egyptians leveled the matter at the stoppage time through defender Yasser Ibraheem. The goal deeply annoyed El Mereikh players and fans.
