Former Simba SC coach and player, Jamhuri Kihwelo, popularly known as 'Julio', has shared hopeful words and strong advice ahead of the CAF Confederation Cup final second-leg match between Simba SC and Morocco’s RS Berkane, scheduled for this Sunday, May 25.
In the first leg played in Morocco, Simba suffered a 2-0 defeat — a result that has left them with an uphill task in the return leg to be played in Dar es Salaam. However, Julio does not see the situation as hopeless. With his experience and understanding of African football, he believes Simba still has a chance.
"Even if we hadn’t lost, this would still be a tough game. There’s still a lot of work to do because they want the title just like we do," said Julio.
The coach emphasized that Berkane capitalized on Simba's mistakes very effectively to score their goals. However, he believes Simba’s technical bench has reviewed those errors and worked on them in preparation for Sunday's game.
"They took advantage of our mistakes and scored two goals, but now we need to fix those errors and secure a win at home, just like we did against Al Masry," Julio added.
Coach Julio believes that Sunday’s clash will be a true test of Simba SC’s character, knowledge, and spirit. It’s not just a tactical battle, but also a psychological and emotional one. Simba faces a major challenge — but the club’s history is filled with great victories under difficult circumstances.
"I believe the mistakes that were made have been identified and addressed. Therefore, something will happen — we’ll get a good result and win this tournament," Julio concluded.
