As Simba SC prepare to take on Al Ahly for the second leg of their African Football League quarter-final, the Tanzanian side is "confident" of beating Percy Tau and his teammates.
With the two clubs going into the return fixture with an aggregate scoreline of 2-2 following an entertaining first leg, the Reds of Msimbazi's head coach Roberto Oliveira believes his men can come away with a potential upset on Tuesday.
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"Listen, we have our objective to do well and qualify for the semi-finals, that is our plan… Simba play nice football and I am confident that we are going to win the match," Oliveira said after landing in Egypt.
He added in a pre-match press conference: "It's an important match for us, we must be well-prepared for it and showcase our abilities and potential. We will give all players an opportunity to participate.
"We have a lot of respect for Al Ahly, and we're sure that Al Ahly will reciprocate the same respect, especially since we displayed an excellent performance in the first match on our home ground."
In the first leg, Simba outshone their Egyptian opponents in almost every statistic. They boasted 59% of the possession, registered more shots on target (six), and completed more passes (546) than their rivals.
"If I talk about my team, it is among the top seven clubs in Africa that participate in the tournament," Oliveira added.
Although Al Ahly boast a strong fanbase that will provide robust home support at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday, this is not a big concern for Simba winger Willy Onana, who stated that he and his teammates are familiar with playing in intimidating environments.
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"The presence of the crowd is something we're accustomed to; it's not new for us," he said in a pre-game presser, per the AFL's official website.
"We've come here fully aware that there will be a significant fan presence and, as the coach mentioned, we will give our best and strive to return with a victory."
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