Simba SC's South African coach Fadlu Davids has shared his thoughts about their upcoming CAF Confederation Cup semi-final against Stellenbosch FC.
Two South African managers will go head-to-head in the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup, with Davids set to face Steve Barker in a tactical battle over two legs. The tie will determine which coach guides their team to a first major CAF final as head coach.
The first leg will take place on Sunday, 20 April, in Tanzania, with the return leg scheduled to be played seven days later at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
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Davids, who took charge of Simba at the beginning of the season, admitted he had initially expected to face last season’s Confederation Cup champions, Zamalek SC, before they were eliminated by Stellies in the previous round.
He told Cairo 24: "We expected that we would return to Egypt to face Zamalek again. We didn’t expect Zamalek to lose to Stellenbosch, especially since they are the defending champions.
"We were surprised by the events and the result of the match, and the South African team’s victory. But Stellenbosch are a good team with pace, and they deserve all the respect.
"We saw Zamalek show too much respect to Stellenbosch at their home ground in Cape Town, and I believe that was a big reason things ended the way they did. Zamalek's playing strategy was too predictable, which is why they didn’t have the chance to score or win."
On Simba's chances of reaching the final, Davids added: "Of course, we are fully confident that we can reach the final of this competition.
"What I know about Stellenbosch is that they are a good team from South Africa. I’ve known for many years that they are ambitious. I’ve coached in South Africa, and I know their coach and some of their players.
"But we have a good opportunity to reach the final, especially since it’s our first time making it to this stage in the history of this competition. We were more accustomed to playing in the CAF Champions League."
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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