Dar es Salaam. Simba’s head coach, Fadlu Davids, has revealed his tactical plans for the upcoming CAF Confederation Cup match against Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien, which will take place at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Sunday.
According to Fadlu, this match will see a different approach compared to their recent 2-1 loss to CS Constantine in Algeria.
Why? The South African coach explained that he intends to adopt a more aggressive approach to attacking CS Sfaxien, while maintaining strong defensive discipline, something his players struggled with in the second half in Algeria.
The lapse in concentration allowed CS Constantine to score two quick goals within five minutes an outcome Fadlu had not anticipated.
The coach emphasized that ensuring a solid defensive structure, while still being aggressive in attack, is key to securing a second victory in the CAF competition.
Simba, currently in second place in Group A, are tied on points with Angola’s Onze Bravos Do Maquis.
They need three points in Dar es Salaam to improve their standing before traveling to Tunisia to face CS Sfaxien in the return leg.
In the previous match, Fadlu used more than six players focused on defensive duties while also setting up tactical attacks.
The strategy worked well in the first half, but the team lost discipline after the break, which ultimately led to their defeat.
“Playing at home is a huge advantage for us. We will have a few training sessions to ensure we’re fully prepared for this match. I will make sure our tactical approach is different from what we used in Algeria,” Fadlu told The BizLens reporter on Wednesday.
“Defensive discipline will be a key part of our game plan, but we also need to execute quick counterattacks and avoid repeating the mistakes from our previous match,” he added.
CS Sfaxien are currently at the bottom of Group A, which is led by CS Constantine with six points. The Tunisians have yet to earn a single point in the competition.
“Our goal is to ensure we get a positive result and put our calculations back on track in this CAF competition,” the coach concluded.
Statistics show that CS Sfaxien has only won twice in their last eight competitive matches—against Soliman (4-1) and US Tataouine.
They have lost twice in the Confederation Cup to CS Constantine (1-0) and Bravos (3-2), while drawing four consecutive matches in their domestic league—against Club Africain (0-0), Zarzis (1-1), Olympique Beja (0-0), and Monastir (1-1).
This will be the first meeting between these two clubs.
Regarding his opponents, Fadlu said, “We have thoroughly analyzed all our opponents, but we have focused our preparations based on the type of opponent we are facing. I urge our fans to support us and forget what happened in Algeria.”
Meanwhile, in the Tanzanian Premier League, Simba are in second place with 28 points from 11 matches.
They have scored 22 goals and conceded just three. CS Sfaxien, on the other hand, are in sixth place in the Tunisian league with 17 points from 10 matches, having scored 13 goals and conceded six.
