The defeat leaves Simba anchored at the bottom of the group with no points from their opening two matches, deepening concerns about their chances of progressing to the knockout stage
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s representatives in the Caf Champions League, Simba SC, endured another frustrating night after falling 2–1 to Mali’s Stade Malien in a tense Group D showdown at Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako on November 30, 2025.
The defeat leaves Simba anchored at the bottom of the group with no points from their opening two matches, deepening concerns about their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
Stade Malien wasted no time asserting their authority, finding the opener in the 16th minute. Cameroonian forward Taddeus Nkeng finished off a well-threaded pass from Mamadou Traoré, catching the Simba defence flat-footed.
The hosts continued to push forward, and their pressure paid off again in the 24th minute when Ismaila Simpara doubled the lead, calmly converting after Abdoul Bodé split the Simba backline with a clever pass.
Simba, who had started the match brightly, were left ruing a string of early missed chances that could have changed the direction of the contest.
In the first minute, Ellie Mpanzu rattled the woodwork before Jean Ahoua blasted wide when the rebound fell kindly to him.
Striker Seleman Mwalimu squandered another golden opportunity in the seventh minute, and Joshua Mutale followed suit by shooting off target seven minutes later.
The wastefulness continued into the second half, with Jonathan Sowah sending a weak effort straight at goalkeeper N’golo Traoré in the 50th minute.
The visitors finally found a breakthrough in the 54th minute when Neo Maema unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the penalty area, giving Simba a glimmer of hope.
However, despite upping the tempo, the Tanzanian giants could not find the equaliser.
Simba’s frustrating evening was compounded by a missed penalty from Stade Malien’s Nkeng, whose effort was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Yakub Suleiman, keeping Simba temporarily within reach of a comeback. But hopes of rescuing a point faded further when midfielder Alassane Kanté was shown a red card in the 82nd minute by Madagascar referee Andofetra Rakotojaona, leaving the visitors to finish the match with ten men.
The loss adds to Simba’s opening-day disappointment, where they fell 1–0 at home to Petro Atlético of Angola at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
The Tanzanian side has now conceded three goals in two games and remains the only team in Group D without a point.
At the top of the standings, Petro Atlético and Stade Malien both have four points, each scoring twice and conceding once, while Tunisia’s Esperance sit third with two points.
Simba now face an uphill task and must win their next match against Esperance in Tunis on January 23 to revive their chances of advancing.
