Simba Queens start Champions League experience with defeat

• Simba lost by a solitary goal to Morocco’s AS FAR
• They are making their debut in the competition
• Zambia’s Green Buffalos also won their first match

Tanzanian side Simba Queens started off their campaign in the CAF Women’s Champions League with a slim 1-0 defeat at the hands of host side AS Far in Morocco.

Ibtissam Jraidi scored the lone goal as the home side started their campaign on a winning note at the Stade Moulay Hassan in Rabat.

Simba had a better performance, but will have only themselves to blame for wasting many scoring chances.

“By the balance of chances, this is a game we should have won because we created so much. But it is the tough lesson we have to learn as this is our debut in the competition. I am confident that we can do better in the next match if we improve on our finishing. I believe we have a good team,” Charles Lukula, the Simba Queens coach said.

Jraidi had been a constant threat for Simba and she showed her instincts when he made the most of a defensive miscontrol to pick the ball and race into the box, but her shot was saved by the keeper.

Aisha Juma golden chance

Simba vs AS Far. PHOTO/Simba Queens

On the other end, Aisha Juma should have done better with a chance after she was sent through on goal, but her effort was weak and was easily collected by the keeper.

The home side finally got their goal in the 67^th minute when Jraidi made the most of a misjudgement from the keeper to head home a cross from Ghizlane Chhiri.

Simba, fought late through substitutes Barakat Olaiya and Koku Kipanga but found no breakthroughs as the Moroccan held on to snatch the maximum points.

Meanwhile in the other match of the day, Zambian army side Green Buffaloes started their campaign with a massive 4-0 victory over Liberia’s Determine Girls.

The Zambians, who came into the competition as COSAFA champions did not waste time announcing their presence with an early lead courtesy of Maweta Chilenga’s fine finish off Ireen Lungu’s cross in the eighth minute at Stade Moulay Hassan.

Lungu sets up another goal

Green Buffalos celebrate. PHOTO/CAF

It was Lungu who also set up Natasha Nanyangwe for the Buffalloes’ second goal in the match on the half hour mark before Hellen Chanda increased the tally to three a minute later.

Hopes of a possible comeback for the Liberians were buried when efficient midfielder Lungu finally got herself on the scoresheet 13 minutes after the restart to complete the rout.

The huge win sends Buffaloes to the top of Group A. The Zambian Army will seek to consolidate on their impressive start and boost their progression to the next round when they face off with hosts AS FAR on November 2.

The Determine Girls, on their part, will hope to bounce back from their disappointing start in their second match of the competition against reigning Tanzanian and CECAFA champions Simba Queens on the same ground.