AfricaPress-Tanzania: HARDLY three days left before the eagerly awaited CAF Champions’ League group A match between Simba SC and AS Vita both sides are bragging for victory in the vital encounter to be staged in Dar es Salaam.
Simba will host the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) side at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday in the penultimate match of group A, needing just a point to seal their place into the quarterfinals stage of the continental premier club championship.
The Msimbazi Reds club sit top of the group with ten points, three ahead of second placed Egyptian giants Al Ahly, who also beat AS Vita 3-0 in their previous assignment.
AS Vita have also bagged up four points as Al- Merrikh are tail ender with a single point. Simba who won the first match played in Kinshasa; DR Congo by 1-0 expressed their confidence that they are going to post positive results at home.
The winner for Simba at the Pentecost Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa was netted by striker Chris Mugalu, who converted a penalty in the 60th minute, which assured his side maximum points away and a perfect start in their group campaign.
Victory against AS Vita will see Simba booking their place into the quarter-final stage of the continental top tie club championship.
However, the opponents Vita are eager for revenge and are targeting to end their hosts unbeaten record at their home ground.
The Congolese side tactician Florent Ibenge has already declared war in their two remaining game of the group, which is against Simba and Al Merrikh.
They insisted that the victory was vital for them to secure a ticket to the knockout stage of the tournament.
AS Vita attacker Ducapel Moloko also vowed that they are coming for the three points and that he and his colleagues believe they will inflict their hosts Simba with the first ever home defeat that will revive their hopes of cruising into the knockout stage. Simba’s French tactician Didier Gomes Da Rosa is targeting to accomplish the semis spot.
“We are leading the group standings and have two games left, one at home and the other away against AS Vita and Al Ahly respectively, if we can perform we can obviously finish at the top of the group,” he said.
Simba have been granted permission by CAF to host fans as a result of the declining Covid-19 cases in Tanzania. In the other group match, Al Merrikh will host Al Ahly in Khartoum with the Egyptian giants winning the first meeting 3-0 in Cairo.
Meanwhile, Simba’s Aishi Manula, Joash Onyango, Luis Miquissone have been nominated for the player of the month award for March in Simba squad whereby the club’s supporters will vote to pick the winner.
The award was established recently by the club in collaboration with Emirate Aluminum Profile. The first award which was presented on February went to the Mozambique attacker Miquissone and walked away with 1m/- prize money.
