Simba admit facing tough challenge against Orlando

Dar es Salaam. Simba Sports Club have admitted facing a strong opposition from Orlando Pirates of South Africa in the quarterfinal first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Sunday.

The eagerly awaited Simba-Orlando encounter has been scheduled to kickoff at 7pm.

Speaking yesterday, Simba assistant coach Seleman Matola said they are taking the encounter with all precautions because, he added, Orlando Pirates are one of the strong teams in the tournament and on the African continent.

Matola said they have studied the team’s strong and weak positions with the aim of controlling them and register goals in a big margin.

“It is going to be a tough match. And we, as a technical bench, have already prepared a technical plan that will enable us to win. My players are doing fine except Hassan Dilunga who is nursing his injury.

“Players Sadio Kanoute and Joash Onyango are also in training sessions, but will not play in the first leg. They will likely feature in the second leg on April 24 at the Orlando Stadium,” said Matola.

According to Matola, his players are in high morale ahead of the match because they know its importance.

“We will have to stretch our muscles in order to qualify for the semifinal stage. Basically, we want to break the record,” he insisted.

He said their target is to score as many goals as possible at the home ground so that they can have an easy task in the second leg.

The two sides have never met in a competitive match before, although they did take each other in a friendly back in 2019 and ended in a 1-1 draw, with Augustine Mulenga and Clatous Chama scoring the goals on the day. Orlando Pirates are expected to arrive in the country tomorrow ahead of the clash in which Tanzania football fans will, for the first time, witness the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR),whose officials are Ahmed Elghandour and Youssek Elbosaty, both from Egypt.