Simba SC head coach Fadlu Davids says their project at the club is ahead of schedule and they will do everything in their power to beat RS Berkane to win the CAF Confederation Cup.
Simba face off against the three-time champions of the competition for the first leg this evening, before returning home to host them next week.
Having ousted Stellenbosch in the semi-finals, Davids side are the underdogs coming up against the Botola Pro champions, who he lost to whilst coaching Orlando Pirates in the final of the same competition.
“Playing this final for the context of where we’re in, we joined Simba in the beginning of this season; a new project, 17 new players, we signed a profile of 18 to 23-24 years old so we have a young team,” Davids said ahead of the first leg final in Morocco.
“It was to build a foundation of this project – we are ahead of schedule in terms of where we are right now, with a new technical team to build the success of this team for the coming years – if you look at the context, Young Africans winning the league three years in a row, Simba is in a process of a rebuild.
“We’re ahead of schedule in terms of objectives, and yes we have a young team if you talk about the CAF Confederation Cup final – maybe one player [with experience] Fabrice Ngoma, who played the final with Raja before and the rest it’s a new experience for them.
“We have experience of playing Berkane in 2022, as a technical [team], when I was coaching Orlando Pirates and we lost on penalties in Nigeria – I know them well, I know their experience in this competition and their squad.
“But of course, when we have everything against us, with a young dynamic team, I’m quite confident in our boys, in where we are right now and we’ll take this experience as just an experience, not only to play – but to do everything in our power to win it, Inshallah.”
The first leg kicks off at the Stade Municipal de Berkane at 21h00 this evening.
