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Simba face Wydad Casablanca on Friday 21 April in the CAF Champions League quarters.
Simba SC coach Roberto Oliveira Goncalves do Carmo, popularly known as Robertinho, has identified three players whom he thinks will be key to his side reaching the CAF Champions League semi-final.
The Tanzanian giants were paired against yet another Moroccan giant when they got defending champions Wydad Casablanca in the quarter-final draw conducted on Wednesday and they have their work cut out to make it to the semis.
Wekundu wa Msimbazi finished second in their Champions League group and got an opportunity to learn what it is like to play against Moroccan teams by losing 6-1 on aggregate to leaders Raja Casablanca following a 3-0 defeat at home before a losing 3-1 away but the Brazilian tactician is putting on a brave face.
He believes he has enough in his arsenal to shoot down the defending champions with Simba having home advantage in the first leg scheduled for Friday, April 21.
“In the Champions League, there are no easy games,” Robertinho told the club’s in-house channel.
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08:00 - 06.04.2023
CAF CL Joash Onyango's Simba to face Wydad Casablanca in quarterfinals
The Msimbazi Reds will start the tie at home against Moroccan giants.
“It’s good to have the first leg at home. Why not (about reaching the semi-final). We are well prepared for a tough opponent but we have every chance against them.”
“When I look at Yasin (Selemba), (Clatous) Chama, Saidi (Ntibazonkiza) the way they run with and without the ball, their good combination, I am happy.”
It will be the third time Simba will be playing a Moroccan side in just over a year after they took on eventual champions RS Berkane in in the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup last season.
They fared better that time, losing 2-1 on aggregate, following a 2-0 loss on the road before winning 1-0 at home, but Wydad presents a different kind of challenge which they will have to overcome to make it to the semi-finals.
Wydad had a near-perfect group stage campaign, losing just one game as they topped their group with 13 points from six matches, and are undefeated both at home and on the continent since that setback which took place away to JS Kabylie of Algeria on February 17.
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