SIMBA SC will in the evening host Al Ahly at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam for the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinals, with kick-off scheduled for 9:00 pm.

South African match referee Abongile Tom will officiate the first-leg encounter.

Simba SC sneaked into the quarterfinals after picking up nine points from their six group matches to finish behind ASEC Mimosas and above Wydad Casablanca and Jwaneng Galaxy.

Having been ousted in the premier continental club tournament's quarterfinals for the past four years, the Tanzanian club will be aiming to establish a healthy advantage in the first leg.

Good results are set to pave the way for a successful second leg that can propel the Msimbazi Street outfit into the semi-finals for the first time since 1974.

Simba SC approaches the match against the Egyptian team on a three-game winning streak in all competitions.

They secured a 2-0 victory over Mashujaa FC in the NBC Premier League just before the international break to build positive momentum for this contest. Still, the CAF Champions League presents a distinct challenge for the Msimbazi Street side.

Head coach Abdelhak Benchikha is blessed with a fully-fit contingent of players to choose from including the in-form Clatous Chama who scored two goals for Zambia in two international friendlies against Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Speaking at a press conference, Benchikha said he has prepared his team well for the two knockout matches.

The Algerian noted: "There is a big difference when I played against Al Ahly with USM Alger and that game was different from this one."

"That was just a one-off match, but now we are going to play two games, which we must win to qualify," Benchikha pointed out.

The previous meeting between the two teams at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium took place in the African Football League in October 2023 and ended in a thrilling 2-2 stalemate.

The visitors are the sole representative of Egypt in the Champions League knockout stage, with Pyramids having missed out on qualification.

Fiston Mayele’s Pyramids FC settled for third place in their group, behind Mamelodi Sundowns and TP Mazembe.

Al Ahly are winless in their last six matches away from home against Tanzanian opponents in African competitions and have lost three of these games.

However, having won a record 11 CAF Champions League titles, the Egyptian football powerhouse is undefeated in their last eight away matches in the continental club premier tournament.

Marcel Koller's side also remain unbeaten in the CAF Champions League this season, having secured three wins and three draws to finish atop Group D.

A 1-0 home victory over Yanga in their last CAF Champions League Group Stage extended their unbeaten run in the competition to 16 games.

Influential midfielder Emam Ashour, goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, and striker Wissam Abu Ali are all on Al Ahly’s injury list.