Fadlu Davids’ Simba SC gave up their lead, facing a 2-1 loss against Algerian side CS Constantine in their second match of the CAF Confederations Cup at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui on Sunday.

The Tanzanian side struck first, with defender Hussein Mohamed scoring in the 24th minute. They seemed on track to secure all three points, but a lapse in concentration in the second half proved detrimental. Early in the second half, Constantine applied pressure on the visitors’ defense, resulting in an unfortunate own goal by Abdulrazack Hamza in the 46th minute.

As the home team built momentum, they capitalized yet again just four minutes later when Brahim Dib scored, exploiting Simba’s defensive mistakes to secure the crucial three points. This defeat dropped Davids’ team to third place in Group A after their earlier 1-0 win against Angolan newcomers Bravos Do Maquis on the first matchday.

Conversely, the Algerian team, who commenced their campaign with a 1-0 away win over CS Sfaxien, maintained their position at the top of the standings with six points, having scored three goals and conceded one, along with one clean sheet. In another Group A match, Bravos Do Maquis stunned the three-time CAF Confederations Cup champions Sfaxien with a 3-2 victory at home, pushing Sfaxien to the bottom of the table.

With the competition intensifying, Simba, in search of their first continental title, will take on a motivated CS Sfaxien at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on December 14, while the leaders Constantine will travel to face Bravos on the same day.