It was Doumbia Day! That is how you could describe it after Simba fans finally got to see their beloved striker, Ibrahim Doumbia, open his scoring account following a long wait.
It came during Simba’s emphatic 6-1 victory over 15 de Agosto in the first leg of their battle for a place in the CAF Champions League (CAFCL) group stage.
As usual, Steve Barker’s men dominated the match. Although they scored just once before half-time, it was only a matter of time before 15 de Agosto were overwhelmed by a barrage of goals.
Nathaniel Chilambo opened the scoring late in the first half, capitalising on a mistake by the 15 de Agosto defence.
The second half brought misery for 15 de Agosto, who struggled to cope with the pace of the Msimbazi Reds. Simba are clearly in excellent form at the moment, showing signs of a potentially highly successful campaign in the Champions League.
However, Simba fans’ patience with Doumbia, who came on in the second half, was rewarded in spectacular fashion as the Malian striker scored twice.
For his first goal, he beat the last defender and the goalkeeper before finding the net. He then grabbed his second by finishing off a cross from Makgalwa, who also scored in the match.
Simba’s other goals came from Elie Mpanzu and Anicet Oura, while 15 de Agosto managed to score a consolation goal in the closing minutes.
It is fair to say Simba have one foot in the group stage after such a commanding victory. To qualify, 15 de Agosto will need to win the return leg by a 5-0 scoreline!
