Simba coach Fadl Davids celebrates ©Mehrez Toujani/BackpagePix
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 12:51
Simba head coach Fadlu Davids praised the maturity of his players in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup, describing Sunday’s 2-0 win over CS Constantine as a “perfect performance”.
Second-half goals from Kibu Dennis (61′) and Leonel Ateba (79′) at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium gave Msimbazi Reds a one-point lead over CSC, sealing their place at the top of Group A. .
Davids’ side maintained their perfect home record in this competition despite being forced to play their final match behind closed doors due to a stadium ban imposed on clubs by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last week. did.
Davids expressed pride in the huge progress the team has made since taking over the reins in July 2024, with the team dominating the match against the Algerian national team with a 2-1 win in a come-from-behind match. He said he was excited to see it.
“I’m really happy with how our players have developed in this tournament. From our first away game against Al Ahli Tripoli to now, we have made great progress as a group, with and without the ball. Ta.
“It was a very mature performance (against CS Constantine). We controlled all aspects of the game, defensively when we didn’t have the ball and offensively when we got the ball back. Possession Stats reflects our dominance when we have the ball.
“I am really indebted to the players and the technical staff. They have done a great job behind the scenes. From my coach to the medical team, everyone contributed to this great performance. I’m very proud of them.
“Our performance in the first half was great. We executed our plan to put Konstantin behind and play in our own half to create chances. Of course, there are always moments when we don’t score.
“At half-time, we fixed some important details. We started the second half with even more intensity, pushing the center backs high and maintaining relentless pressure. Despite there being no fans in the stadium. As the waves came, we continued to nail them.
“That’s exactly the way we want to play football – to dominate, to keep the opposition in our own half and prevent counter-attacks. I think we would have been even more dominant if the fans were behind us. It could have easily been five or six goals. It was a perfect performance, so I’m very proud.”
