Berkane look to make home advantage count

by Graeme Jackson

Friday May 16, 2025. 15:00

RS Berkane will look to make the most of their home advantage for the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final against Simba SC, set for the Berkane Municipal Stadium on the evening of Saturday 17 May 2025. Kick-off is at 21:00 CAT.

RSB are two-time Confederation Cup winners (2020 & 2022) and will be appearing in the final for the fifth time overall (all since 2019).

The Moroccan side were Group B winners ahead of Stellenbosch FC, Desportivo da Lunda Sul and Stade Malien, before defeating ASEC Mimosas (2-0 on aggregate) and CS Constantine (4-1 on aggregate) in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively.

RS Berkane coach Mouïne Chaabani intends to maximise their potential on home soil – and strive to avoid the concession of any away goals.

“We have reached this stage of the competition thanks to enormous sacrifices, and we have no intention of wasting this effort,” he explained.

“Our goal is to win the title. We must play with great concentration and avoid any mistakes. Not conceding a goal in the first leg is important, and we will look to score to make things difficult for our opponent.”

Simba SC have made history by becoming the first Tanzanian club to reach the final of the Confederation Cup. It is their second continental club final, having been beaten by Ivory Coast’s Stella Club in the 1993 CAF Cup final.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi were Group A winners ahead of CS Constantine, Bravos do Maquis and CS Sfaxien, before defeating Al Masry (on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw) and Stellenbosch (1-0 on aggregate) in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively.

Simba coach Fadlu Davids is seeking revenge against Berkane, having been part of the Orlando Pirates coaching team that lost to the Moroccan side in the Confederation Cup final in 2022.

“I just had a message from one of the important officials at Orlando Pirates, and it says, ‘remember it was Berkane that beat us on penalties.’ That match still haunts me,” admitted the South African tactician.

He added, “Berkane is an improved side. We played against this coach (Mouine Chaabani) last season (with Raja Casablanca).”

In head-to-head stats, RS Berkane and Simba have met in two previous matches. Both were in the group stage of the 2021-22 edition of the Confederation Cup, with the Tanzania side winning 1-0 at home, but the return game in Morocco was won 2-0 by the Orange Boys.

The second-leg match of this final will be held at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday 25 May.