Caf Champions League: What Simba SC must do to reach quarter-finals - Vandenbroeck

Sven Vandenbroeck has tipped Simba SC to reach the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League but only if they use their home ground advantage to the maximum.

The Belgian tactician helped the Wekundu wa Msimbazi to reach the group stage for the third time in history after they managed a 4-1 aggregate win against FC Platinum before he resigned.

Vandenbroeck lost the first leg 1-0 away in Harare but they turned on the screw in the return leg to beat the Platinum Miners 4-0 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

But despite taking up a new coaching role at FAR Rabat of Morocco, the 41-year-old tactician has dropped a piece of advice to Simba by urging them to make good use of their home ground when they start the group stage campaign on February 12.

Simba have been drawn to play defending champions Al-Ahly of Egypt, AS Vita from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudanese giants Al-Merrikh in Group A of the competition.

“If you look closely at the group Simba have been assigned to play in, you can clearly see they have a lot of work to do due to the quality of the teams they have been pooled to face,” Vandenbroeck said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“Al Ahly and AS Vita are big teams that have already made enough investment in football so it is not easy to beat them.

“Even Al-Merrikh should not be underrated, but I believe Simba still have a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals if they are united and make good use of the advantage of playing at home.”

Vandebroeck continued: “It is important they make sure nine points at home remain to them before considering how they get the results abroad, in that way, they will easily make it.”

Vandebroeck led Simba to 55 matches managing to win 39, losing six, and drawing 10 games.

The reigning champions are yet to get a replacement for Vandenbroeck despite confirming that over 55 foreign coaches had applied for the vacant position.

Simba are currently on a one week break after they returned from Arusha in Zanzibar where they lost the final of the Mapinduzi Cup to rivals Yanga.