At 4:00 PM today, all eyes of Simba SC fans in Tanzania will be on the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, where Simba will face Gaborone United of Botswana in the second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round.
Simba head into this fixture with the advantage of a 1-0 victory from the first leg in Gaborone last week. That result gives the Msimbazi Reds a good chance of advancing to the first round, as they only need either another win or a draw to progress.
However, Simba will play without their home supporters at the Mkapa Stadium, following a CAF sanction. To keep their fans connected, the club has arranged a giant screen at Coco Beach in Dar es Salaam, where supporters can gather and follow the game together.
This will also mark the first official match for interim coach Hemed Suleiman “Morocco,” who has taken charge of the technical bench following the departure of head coach Fadlu Davids, now with Raja Casablanca.
For Morocco, the immediate test is to guide Simba safely past the preliminary stage and into the group stage — the first step in their larger ambitions this season.
Simba have made it clear that their goal for this campaign is to surpass the quarterfinal stage of the CAF Champions League, a hurdle that has blocked them in recent years. Achieving this begins with ensuring safe passage through the early rounds.
What to Expect?
- The away goal advantage gives Simba a calmer approach heading into the match.
- The coaching changes offer players an opportunity to step up and impress.
- Despite their home loss, Gaborone United will arrive in Dar eager to stage an upset and overturn the deficit.
Although Simba will miss the presence of their supporters in the stands, the team’s history, squad quality, and confidence from the first-leg win could provide the spark needed to secure another positive result today.
