Robertinho confident against Al Ahly in AFL

Simba qualified for the playoffs after being ranked among the top eight teams as per the CAF ranking. However, being pitted against the Egyptian giants means the end of the road for many of their pessimistic supporters.

The Msimbazi giants have the best record at home when playing top African teams; however, they have never eliminated Al Ahly in any competition. In the past six matches since 1985, Simba managed to win three and Al Ahly three, respectively.

Nonetheless, Simba’s head coach, Roberto “Robertinho” Oliveira, expressed confidence that they have all it takes to defy the odds this time around.

"Yes, Simba have always struggled against Al Ahly despite the fact that they always win at home, but I believe that we can defy the odds this year," said Robertinho.

It will be a difficult match, for sure, but nobody should try to write us off; we are capable of recording a big win at home and protecting it in Cairo."

He added, "I am confident that we will fare well against Al Ahly. The bad news is that we will start at home. It will not be an easy match, as Al Ahly will also target the best results away from home against us. We need to be very keen this time. He said they must train hard to ensure that they win the first leg by a big margin.

Adding his voice to the match, prominent coach Abel Mtweve advised Simba’s technical team to come up with a foolproof strategy for seeing off the Egyptians.

"It’s a bad draw due to the fact that they are playing against the top team on the continent. However, if they can defy their odds and eliminate them," he said,

Simba’s information officer, Ahmed Ally, admitted that it was a tough draw but voiced his optimism that their team would make history by booting out Al Ahly.

"It will be a tough match; however, we still have time to prepare, and hopefully our coach (Robertinho) will come up with a special strategy that will see us through to the semifinals," he said.