Simba SC head coach Pablo Franco Martin admits not having Bernard Morrison is a dent to their chances of beating Orlando Pirates to a place in the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup.
The Tanzanian giants travel to Johannesburg this week for the return leg of their quarter-final tie with a slender 1-0 advantage from the win at the Benjamin Mkapa.
While the drama between Mandla Ncikazi’s explosive press conference and Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez launching a complaint about his allegations dominated the headlines, Morisson’s absence for the return leg has been overshadowed.
And the former Real Madrid assistant coach concedes the Ghanaian, who played for Pirates between 2016 and 2018 is an integral part of their attack that will be dearly missed.
“Of course, any coach wants to have his best players available,” he told iDiski Times. “Last season he was a game-changer.
“This season we lost players such as Clatous Chama [who has since returned] and Luis Miquissone so he [Morisson] became the most decisive player in our squad that adds more value to what we are achieving or trying to achieve.”
The 29-year-old playmaker has scored three goals and registered two assists in four starts in the African continental club competition this season.
Story by: Lorenz Köhler
