Simba maintained their impressive home form in the Caf Champions League with a 1-0 win over Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday.
Jean Othos’ 30th-minute goal proved the difference in Dar es Salaam as Robertinho’s side take a slender advantage into the second leg in Casablanca next weekend.
Simba had won five of their six home games on the continent and were seeking their fourth successive victory, while the Red Castle came into the clash on the back of a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions since losing to JS Kabylie in the group stages.
The hosts created the majority of the chances, although Ally Juma was called into action early on to keep out a header from Arsene Zola on nine minutes after he got on the end of Jalal Daoudi’s cross.
Simba then went close five minutes later as Mzamiru Yassin lined up a shot from range that flew just wide of the right post, while back up the other end Zola failed to hit the target with a header from a 16th-minute corner.
However, the Msimbazi Reds hit the front on the half-hour mark with a close-range finish from Othos after the ball fell into his path from a free-kick.
Sadio Kanoute almost doubled their lead shortly afterwards as he flashed a shot just beyond the left post from distance before he glanced a header fractionally wide of the goal from a 36th-minute corner.
The Tanzanian outfit held onto their one-goal lead at the break and were quickly on the attack in the second half as Clatous Chama sent a curler just wide of the right post from range in the 46th minute, while Saidi Ntibazonkiza headed Shomari Kapombe’s cross inches past the upright in the 59th minute.
Saif-Eddine Bouhra managed to test Juma with a long-range strike on 61 minutes but Simba continued to push for more goals and Denis Kibu forced Youssef El Motie into a fine save with an effort from outside the box on 68 minutes before Kapombe saw his strike drift wide of the right post moments later.
Kibu wasn’t able to keep his effort down from inside the area on the left on 75 minutes after being played in by Chama and El Motie was required to save Mohamed Hussein’s ambitious attempt from a long way out in the 80th minute.
Zouhair El Moutaraji had a chance to clinch a draw for Wydad at the death but he wasn’t able to beat Juma with a strike from range in the second minute of stoppage time.
Simba (1) 1 (Othos 30′)
Wydad Casablanca 0
Simba:A. Juma, S. Kapombe, H. Baka, S. Kapombe, J. Onyango, S. Kanoute, K. Denis, M. Yassin, C. Chama, S. Ntibazonkiza (P. Sakho 81′), J. Othos (J. Bocco 89′).
Wydad Casablanca:Y. El Motie, H. Benayada, A. Aboulfath, A. Zola, H. Boussefiane (I. Khannouss 70′), Y. Jabrane, J. Daoudi, Y. Attiat-Allah, A. El Hassouni (A. Haimoud 64′), H. Ahadad (M. El Lafi 84′), S. Bouhra (Z. El Moutaraji 63′).
