SIMBA SC head coach Fadlu Davids has expressed his satisfaction after his team secured a vital 1-0 victory against Angola's Bravos do Maquis in their opening CAF Confederation Cup Group A match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Jean Ahoua’s first-half penalty proved decisive in a match where Simba dominated possession and created multiple chances but faced a nervy second half. 

The highlight of the latter half came in the 48th minute when goalkeeper Moussa Camara saved a penalty from Emmanuel Edmond, preserving Simba’s lead.

Reflecting on the match, Davids (pictured) praised his team’s first-half performance, emphasizing their control and execution.

“Fantastic performance in the first half, exactly where we want to play - in the opposition’s half. Our rest defense was really good, and our ball possession was excellent. We kept them in their own half and did not allow any transitions,” said Davids.

“They hardly entered our defensive zone, so it was a fantastic performance. That’s exactly how you want to start the CAF Confederation Cup group stage. It’s the performance we envisioned.”

Despite the positive result, the South African tactician acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in capitalizing on scoring opportunities to secure a more comfortable victory.

“Very good performance, but we have to kill off the game when we are playing so well. In the second half, the game became too transitional -moving from one end to the other. That’s something we need to control better.

"Of course, we still created big chances, but if you don’t kill off the game, it always becomes tense and edgy. Nevertheless, I’m very happy with the players - they executed what we wanted. We still have to grow as a team and gain experience, as most of our players are new to this competition.”

Davids highlighted the value of this opening victory as a learning experience for his relatively inexperienced squad.

“Three or four players have CAF experience, but the rest do not. These moments help us learn, grow, and improve. We analyze the performance and set the bar high as we prepare for the next matches.”

Simba will face a sterner test in their next CAF Confederation Cup outing against Algerian side CS Constantine. The away fixture is scheduled for Sunday, December 8, with kick-off at 19:00.