Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — Tanzanian giants Simba SC marched into the quarter finals of the CAF Champions League after thrashing Guinea’s Horoya 7-0 in Dar es Salaam on Saturday night, making the last eight for only the third time in their history.
Zambian Clatous Chama scored a hattrick for Wekundu wa Msimbazi in the massive win with Congolese Jean beleke and Malian Sadio Kanoute adding a brace each in the massive victory.
With the win, Simba cemented their hold on second spot as they moved to nine points, five ahead of third placed Horoya and four behind group winners raja Club Athletic who picked a point in their 1-1 away draw against Uganda’s Vipers in Kampala.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s Al Hilal missed a golden chance to progress to the quarter finals with one match to spare after missing a last minute penalty.
They played to a 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa. A win would have guaranteed them a slot in the last eight. The result was a welcome relief for Egyptian giants Al Ahly, who face Hilal in the last match of the group and a win will see the record African champions progress.
Hilal will only need a point from that game to go through, but they will need to work their sweat off in a difficult hunting ground in Cairo.
Substitute Ather el Tahir saw his tamely struck spot-kick saved by Ronwen Williams
Meanwhile, Title-holders Wydad and Raja Casablanca of Morocco, Chabab Belouizdad and JS Kabylie of Algeria, Esperance of Tunisia and Sundowns have secured last-eight places.
Kabylie, whose last of two Champions League titles came in 1990, advanced from Group A after a 90th-minute Dadi Mouaki goal delivered a 1-0 win over 2022 semi-finalists Petro Luanda of Angola.
Wydad will be in the knockout stage for the eighth season running after drawing 0-0 away to V Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the same section.