DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania
The Tanzania champions, Simba Sports Club of Dar es Salaam made a roaring start to their campaign after smashing three goals past the visiting side on Sunday.
The host kicked off their Caf Confederation Cup group stage campaign with a convincing 3-1 win against ASEC Mimosas at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Sunday.
It was Pape Ousmane Sakho who put the Tanzania Mainland Premier League champions ahead in the 12th minute but Stephane Aziz Ki levelled matters for the visiting side in the 60th minute after a defensive blunder.
However, two quick-fire goals courtesy of defender Shomari Kapombe, who converted from the penalty spot in the 79th minute, and midfielder Peter Banda in the 81st minute ensured Simba picked maximum points from the opening fixture.
Simba coach, Pablo Franco, opted to start Inonga at the expense of Ivorian Pascal Wawa while Kenyan Joash Onyango and Mohamed Hussein kept their positions in the backline.
It was Simba, who started the Group D game with a lot of urgency and they should have taken the lead in the fifth minute when Banda put Meddie Kagere through on goal but the Rwanda striker fumbled the ball and it rolled out for a goal-kick.
Five minutes later, Kagere combined well with Banda before releasing the unmarked Sakho, and the Senegalese forward unleashed a left-footed effort which was well saved by ASEC goalkeeper Abdoul Karim Cisse.
However, in the 12th minute, Sakho made amends as he put Simba ahead, after cleverly turning round to meet a cross from Kagere before hitting an overhead kick with his right foot past Cisse.
The goal rejuvenated Simba and they went for more, this time defender Kapombe’s powerful header, after a corner delivered by Larry Bwalya rattled the woodwork before bouncing out.
ASEC then threatened to score in the 24th minute, their first chance of the game, when striker Karim Konate found himself unmarked inside Simba’s danger zone, but his final effort was punched out for a fruitless corner by keeper Aishi Manula.
In the 30th minute, another open chance presented itself to ASEC’s Aubin Kramo Kouame but after rounding up Kapombe and racing through on goal, he hit the ball wide with only keeper Manula to beat.
With five minutes left to the half-time break, Simba’s Jonas Mkude, who started in midfield alongside Sadio Kanoute and Bwalya, then delivered a defence-splitting pass to Kagere, but a quick reaction by Cisse to leave his line, saved the day as he cleared the ball out for a throw-in.
At the start of the second half, it was all Simba yet again as they continued to search for the second goal. Sakho should have doubled the team’s lead with only six minutes played after he was teed up by Bwalya but his first-time effort whizzed over the bar.
After the miss, ASEC lifted their game and they should have levelled the scores in the 56th minute when Konate failed to tap into an empty net a clever cross from Anicet Alain Oura.
Four minutes later, the Ivorian side stunned the Mkapa Stadium after Aziz Ki drilled home a low-footed effort which evaded Simba’s defender past goalkeeper Manula for a 1-1 scoreline.However, Simba never gave up as they continued to raid ASEC and in the 79th minute, they were awarded a penalty after Bwalya was brought down inside the box.
It was Kapombe, who stepped up to send Cisse the wrong way and help Simba regain their lead, and two minutes later, Malawi international Banda notched the third after receiving a perfect pass from second-half substitute John Bocco.
Simba will travel to Niger to take on Union Sportive Gendarmerie Nationale (USGN) in their second fixture at Stade General Seyni Kountche on February 20, the same day ASEC will host Morocco’s RS Berkane at Stade de l’Amitie. - Africa
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