NEWS
We were unlucky to miss CAF Champions League semis – John Bocco
Simba Sports Club skipper John Rapheal Bocco has said they were unlucky to bow of the 2020/2021 CAF Champions League at the quarter final stage.
The Tanzanian giants beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in the return leg of the quarter final last Saturday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es salaam, but bowed out on a 4-3 aggregate.
“We were unlucky to miss out making it to the semi final stage. It was unfortunate that we did not score in the first leg,” said Bocco who netted two goals in the win. Bocco who last Friday promised they would win the game netted in each half at the Benjamin Nkapa Stadium.
Bocco made it 1-0 after 24 minutes after picking a cross from Zambian international Clatous Chama. The home side continued to torment the Kaizer Chiefs defenders and creating several scoring opportunities that they failed to put away.
Early in the second half Kaizer Chiefs’ Leonardo Castro almost punished Simba SC when his close range header missed the target by inches.
Bocco made it 2-0 eleven minutes into the second half with a tap-in off a good Luis Miquissone cross. The home side continued to attack in numbers as the Kaizer Chiefs midfielders failed to hold the ball well.
With four minutes to time it was Chama who got his name on the score sheet for Simba SC to make it 3-0 from another Miquissone cross. The home fans went wild and cheered on their team to keep pushing forward.
But Kaizer Chiefs held on and managed defend in numbers till the final whistle to qualify to the semi final stage. It is also the first time the South African side make it to the semi final stage of the CAF Champions League.
Kaizer Chiefs will now face Wydad in the semis, while Tunisia’s Esperance battle reigning champions Al Ahly in the second semi final clash.
Mukura Victory Sport have stunned reigning Rwanda Premier League champions APR FC 1-0 in a match played on Sunday at Amahoro Stadium.
Destin Malanda netted the lone goal after 19 minutes to silence the APR fans at the Stadium.
Recently signed Ugandan players Hakim Kiwanuka and Denis Omedi all started the match for APR FC, but the Mukura Victory Sport team employed a highly defensive approach. APR FC recently lifted Heroes Cup 2025.
After 18 matches played, the army side is placed second with 37 points, while Rayon Sports who were held to a 1-1 draw by Amagaju on Saturday are top with 41 points.
Mukura Victory Sport are placed sixth on the 16-team log with 27points, behind Police FC who have a point more.
The head coach of Simba SC has said facing Al Masry SC in the quarter final stage of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will not be an easy task.
After the draw was conducted yesterday in Qatar, the Tanzania Premier League side was drawn to face Egyptian side Al Masry SC.
Speaking after the draw Simba SC head coach Fadlu Davids has made it clear that at this level it is always very tricky and difficult because all the teams are good. “Facing Al Masry will not be easy. But we had pre-season in Egypt and we know what to expect when we play the first leg in Egypt,” explained the head coach.
Fadlu Davids made it clear that it was very important for Simba SC to top the group so that they play the first leg of the quarter final away from home.
The two-legged quarter-final matches will be played on April 2 and April 9 April, 2025.
In the other matches Cup holders Zamalek SC of Egypt will face Stellenbosch FC (South Africa), ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) take on Morocco’s RS Berkane, and CS Constantine battle USM Alger in an Algerian derby.
The winner of the tie between Simba SC and Al Masry, and the clash between Zamalek SC and Stellenbosch FC, while the second semi-final will see the winner between RS Berkane and ASEC Mimosas battle the winner between USM Alger and CS Constantine.
Quarter-Finals fixture
Stellenbosch FC (South Africa) vs Zamalek SC (Egypt)
ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) vs RS Berkane (Morocco)
CS Constantine (Algeria) vs USM Alger (Algeria)
Al Masry (Egypt) vs Simba SC (Tanzania)
Two teams from the CECAFA Zone Uganda and Tanzania have been placed in Group A ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.
During the draw conducted on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt, the CECAFA Zonal champions Uganda have been placed with Tanzania, hosts Morocco and Zambia. In the final of the Zonal qualifiers Uganda stopped Tanzania 2-1.
The expanded tournament which will feature 16 teams is selected for March 30th to April 19th, 2025. The best 10 teams will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to take place in Qatar in November.
During the draw conducted by former Mali international Adama Coulibaly and ex-Senegal star Souleymane Camara will act as draw assistants, another team from the CECAFA Zone Somalia was placed in Group C alongside defending champions Senegal, Gambia and Tunisia.
The 2011 champions Burkina Faso are placed in Group B alongside the champion from UNIFFAC, South Africa and Egypt, while Group D has Mali, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire and the second team in the UNIFFAC qualifiers.
Group A: Morocco, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia
Group B: Burkina Faso, UNIFAC 1, South Africa, Egypt
Group C: Senegal, Gambia, Somalia, Tunisia
Group D: Mali, Angola, Cote D’Ivoire, UNIFFAC 2
Somalia has been included as one of the teams that will feature in the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.
The Somalian team which finished third in the Zonal CECAFA qualifiers after stopping South Sudan 1-0 in the play-off late last year has been included by CAF together with Gambia from the WAFU-UFOA Zone A.
The CECAFA Zone will be represented by Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia during the competition which runs March 30th to April 19th, 2025 in Morocco. The final draw for the competition will take place on February 13th in Cairo, Egypt.
The expanded tournament will see 16 teams compete, with a record 10 African nations to qualify for the 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup that will be staged in Qatar from November 5-27th, 2025.
Teams to be drawn
Morocco (host), Angola, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and one team each UNIFFAC and UNIFFAC.
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