Simba SC hit six against 15 de Agosto to close in on TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage

Tanzanian giants Simba SC moved a significant step closer to the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after securing an emphatic 6-1 away victory over Equatorial Guinea's 15 de Agosto in their second preliminary round first-leg encounter on Wednesday.

Ibrahim Doumbia scored twice, while Nathaniel Chilambo, Elie Mpanzu, Keletso Makgalwa and Anicet Oura were also on target as Simba established a commanding five-goal advantage ahead of the return leg.

The visitors opened the scoring through Chilambo in the 43rd minute, taking a slender 1-0 lead into half-time before producing a devastating attacking display after the interval.

Mpanzu doubled Simba's advantage in the 56th minute before Doumbia struck nine minutes later to put the Tanzanian side firmly in control.

Makgalwa extended the lead to 4-0 in the 72nd minute as Simba continued to dominate the contest.

Oura added a fifth in the 82nd minute before Doumbia completed his brace in the 88th minute, capping an impressive individual performance and taking Simba's tally to six.

The home side grabbed a consolation goal in the first minute of stoppage time, but it was too little, too late to prevent a heavy defeat.

Simba's clinical second-half display, which produced five goals in just 32 minutes, underlined their attacking strength and left their opponents facing an enormous challenge in the return fixture.

The Tanzanian club will now return home with a five-goal cushion, knowing that a place in the group stage of Africa's premier club competition is firmly within reach.

For 15 de Agosto, the return leg represents a daunting assignment after conceding six goals on home soil.