Simba Head Coach Dimitar Pantev says that despite losing their second CAF Champions League group-stage match against Stade Malien, their objective of qualifying for the quarter-finals has not changed. He insists the team will fight through the remaining four games to secure progression.
Simba suffered a 2–1 defeat to Stade Malien in Mali— their second consecutive loss in the competition after falling 1–0 to Petro Atletico in their opening match.
Speaking shortly after Simba’s return from Mali, Pantev admitted the result was not what they had hoped for, but emphasized that such outcomes are part of football and can happen to any team.
Pantev added that the upcoming one-month break— created to allow room for the AFCON 2025 tournament set to begin later this month in Morocco— will give Simba ample time to prepare and make necessary improvements to the squad.
“Talking about the match against Stade Malien, I think we were the better side and probably didn’t deserve to lose, but we made mistakes that cost us,”
“I said earlier that we have a better team than our opponents. We created many chances, but failed to convert them into goals.”
“We still have a chance to do well in the remaining matches. I believe we will have enough time to prepare and fix areas where we have challenges.”
“Our goal as a team is to reach the quarter-finals. We will continue fighting in the remaining games,” Pantev said.
