Davids hails dominant victory over CS Constantine
Yesterday at 05:51 AM
Simba head coach Fadlu Davids hailed the maturity of his players in the CAF Confederation Cup this season and described their 2-0 win against CS Constantine on Sunday as a “complete performance”.
Second-half goals from Kibu Denis (61′) and Leonel Ateba (79′) at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium ensured that the Msimbazi Reds clinched top spot in Group A after they finished one point ahead of CSC.
Davids’ side maintained their perfect record on home soil in the competition despite being forced to play their final match behind closed doors due to a stadium ban imposed on the club by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last week.
Davids expressed pride in his team for the massive strides they have made since he took over the reins in July 2024 and was thrilled to see them dominate proceedings against the Algerian outfit, who had beaten them 2-1 in the reverse fixture.
“I’m really happy with how my players have matured in this tournament. From the first match away to Al Ahli Tripoli to now, we’ve made significant strides as a group, both with and without the ball.
“It was a very mature performance [against CS Constantine]. We controlled all phases of the game – defensively when we didn’t have the ball and offensively when we regained possession. The possession stats reflect our dominance when we had the ball.
“Well done to my players and the technical staff. They’ve done a fantastic job behind the scenes. From my coaches to the medical team, everyone played a part in this accomplished performance. I’m incredibly proud of my players today.
“The first-half performance was fantastic. We executed our plan to push Constantine onto the back foot, play in their half, and create chances. Of course, there are always moments when you don’t score.
“At half-time, we corrected a few key details. We started the second half with even greater intensity, pushing our center-backs higher and maintaining relentless pressure. Wave after wave, we kept them pinned despite not having our fans in the stadium.
“That’s exactly how we want to play football – to dominate, to keep the opposition in their half, and prevent counter-attacks. With our fans behind us, I believe we would have been even more dominant. It could easily have been five-six goals. It was a complete performance, and I’m incredibly proud.”
