SIMBA SC, Tanzania’s last standing representatives in continental football this season, are gearing up for a monumental challenge as they host Egypt’s Al Masry in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium this afternoon.

Trailing 2-0 from the first leg away in Ismailia last week, the Tanzanian giants must summon an extraordinary performance to keep their semi-final dreams alive. 

Al Masry delivered a clinical display in the first leg at New Suez Stadium, shutting out Simba with a commanding 2-0 victory.

The result has left Simba with a steep hill to climb, needing at least a two-goal margin to force a penalty shootout or a three-goal win to advance outright. 

History offers little comfort - since 2019, only one team has overturned a two-goal deficit at this stage of the competition, making Simba’s task a rare and daunting prospect.

Despite the odds, head coach Fadlu Davids exudes confidence in his squad’s ability to stage a comeback. 

“It’s not over. We believe. We want our fans to believe,” Davids declared in a pre-match press conference. 

“If we execute our game plan for 90 minutes, we stand a very good chance of qualifying. But we know it’s going to be difficult because one goal for them is an away goal. That means we have to score two more.”

Davids also drew inspiration from one of football’s most iconic turnarounds. 

“Liverpool were 3-0 down against AC Milan with 45 minutes left, and we have 90 minutes to reverse a 2-0 scoreline. Everything is possible,” he said recently, urging fans to pack the stadium and rally behind the team.

Simba’s forwards, who squandered several chances in the first leg, will need to sharpen their finishing to breach Al Masry’s resolute defense. 

An electric atmosphere at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium could prove the difference as Simba aim to defy the odds and secure a historic semi-final berth against the winner of Zamalek vs. Stellenbosch. 

Kick-off is set for this afternoon, with the nation holding its breath.