SIMBA SC finally broke their quarterfinal jinx by advancing to the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 4-1 penalty shootout victory over Egyptian side Al Masry at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Goalkeeper Moussa Camara emerged the hero, saving two of Al Masry’s three penalty attempts after the two-legged tie ended 2-2 on aggregate. Simba, who lost 2-0 in the first leg in Ismailia last week, produced a spirited performance in the second leg, securing a 2-0 win to force penalties.

Penalty goals for Simba came from Jean Charles Ahoua, Steven Mukwala, Kibu Denis, and Shomari Kapombe, all of whom kept their composure under pressure to seal the historic progression.

The comeback began in the 21st minute when Elie Mpanzu controlled a throw-in from Kapombe, turned swiftly, and unleashed a thunderous shot from outside the box that left Al Masry goalkeeper Mohamed Ahmed rooted to the spot.

Simba doubled their lead in the 31st minute when Ugandan striker Mukwala headed home a pinpoint cross from left-back and captain Mohamed Hussein, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg, Simba faced an uphill battle - historically, only one team had successfully reversed such a margin at this stage since 2019. But the Tanzanian giants dominated the match, with 76.3% possession in the first half compared to Al Masry’s 23.3%.

Early signs of intent were clear when Ahoua missed a chance to convert a low cross from Mukwala in just the 5th minute, setting the tone for Simba's attacking intensity.

Simba will now face the winner of the tie between South Africa’s Stellenbosch FC and Egypt’s Zamalek SC, who were set to play their second leg yesterday after a goalless draw in the first leg.

In other CAF Confederation Cup action, RSB Berkane were scheduled to host ASEC Mimosas in Morocco, while USM Alger and CS Constantine were set for an all-Algerian showdown.