CAFCC: Davids names Simba SC's unsung icons after Al Masry ouster

Photo Credit - Simba SC Tanzania.

Simba SC head coach Fadlu Davids has analysed their qualification to the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup following a dramatic penalty shot out victory against Al Masry of Egypt at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday.

Having stumbled at the quarter-final stage five times before, the Msimbazi Reds staged a heroic comeback, overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit from Cairo with a spirited 2-0 win on home turf and went ahead to win on penalties.

Goalkeeper Moussa Camara’s agility and reflexes were mesmerising throughout the tense encounter, highlighted by two breathtaking saves that denied Al Masry’s Mohamed Hussein and Mahmoud Awad Elsayed from the penalty spot.

His heroics provided the platform for Simba’s composed penalty takers. Jean Charles Ahoua, Steven Mukwala, Kibu Denis and Shomari Kapombe all coolly slotted their spot kicks home, sending the ecstatic crowd into a frenzy of red-clad celebration. The work behind the scenes, the medical team, the players with some injuries, you won’t see it because we don’t say it. But the work done behind the scenes is huge,” said Davids after the Al Masry game as quoted by FARPost.

“The analysis from the goalkeeper coach [Wayne Sandilands] in terms of each penalty, to give [Moussa] Camara the information. A lot of times you only credit the players and sometimes the coach, but the technical team behind the scenes deserves a huge credit for this qualification.”

On the win, the South African coach said: “This one is for the fans. They came in numbers in bad weather. They supported us when we didn’t get good results, they came out in numbers.

“Without them pushing us for the entire 90 minutes, I don’t think it would have been possible, so this one is for the Simba fans. They deserve it after so many years to go to the semi-finals.

“It’s very important now for me to inform my players that celebrations have to be cut short because we have not achieved anything yet. Let’s focus on the semi-finals, and then we can get to the final. But we can’t celebrate too much. Yes, it’s a huge milestone, a big achievement for the club.”

Simba will now face Stellenbosch of South Africa, who eliminated defending champions Zamalek of Egypt 1-0 on aggregate in the last four of the inter-club competition.