Simba sail through as Yanga eye Louis scalp

Djibouti City. Mainland giants Simba cruised into the first round of the CAF Confederation Cup after beating hosts Gendarmarie 1-0 in an exciting match here yesterday.

Simba sailed through on 5-0 aggregate as they thrashed the Djibouti team 4-0 in the preliminary round, first leg match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam last week.

The Msimbazi Reds, who are competing in African football for the first time in five years, will now face Al Masry of Egypt in the next stage of the tournament.

Al Masry, on the other hand, booked a place in the first round at the expense of Zambia’s Green Buffaloes despite going down 2-1 in the preliminary round, return leg match in Lusaka yesterday.

The hard fought victory was not enough for the Buffaloes to secure a ticket for the next stage of the continental championship.

Al Masry, whose ace strikers include Burkina Faso’s Aristides Bance, had trounced the Zambia team 4-0 in the preliminary round, first leg game in Cairo. In yesterday’s match at State de Vile in Djibouti City, Simba scored the lone goal though their Ugandan international Emmanuel Okwi in the 53rd minute.

Two minutes after the hour mark, Simba coach brought in Moses Kitandu to replace Juuko Murshid.

Meanwhile, a tricky task awaits Mainland champions Young Africans when they face St Louis in the preliminary round, return leg of the CAF Champions League in Seychelles today.

Yanga, who squeezed a 1-0 home in the first leg game in Dar es Salaam last week, need just a draw to make it into the first round.

But they will miss the services of key players, including Zambian striker Obrey Chirwa and Ibrahim Ajibu.