BAMAKO, Mali
Stade Malien registered their first win of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group phase, overcoming Tanzania’s Simba SC 2–1 in Bamako.
The Malian champions delivered a composed and purposeful performance, confirming their intentions in a tightly contested Group D.
Backed by an energetic home crowd, Stade Malien quickly imposed their rhythm on a Simba side slow to settle.
Their early dominance was rewarded in the 16th minute when Taddeus Nikeng capitalised on a loose ball inside the area to break the deadlock and send the stadium into celebration.
The hosts doubled their advantage just seven minutes later.
This time, Ismaila Simpara showed excellent composure in the box, finishing clinically to give Stade Malien a deserved 2–0 lead and highlight a commanding opening spell from the Bamako outfit.
Buoyed by last week’s encouraging draw away to ES Tunis (0–0), Stade Malien appeared well on course for a comfortable night.
However, Simba returned from the interval with renewed intent. The visitors reduced the deficit nine minutes into the second half, injecting suspense into a match that had been fully controlled by the home side.
Despite the momentum swing, Stade Malien demonstrated resilience and tactical discipline.
The closing stages evolved into a controlled exercise in game management, which the hosts navigated confidently until the final whistle.
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