The club that was sobbing the other week, Simba SC, now had plenty of reason to smile, very broadly for that matter, while those who shone the other week, Yanga, were not in a position to repeat the feat.
Yet it was not a disaster as their lead was only cleared in stoppage time, by which time the fans had already believed they were winning, they could just regret it.
Simba SC disposed of their fellow group underdogs in outclassing Vipers SC in the former's away match but could not sound a note of triumph as the range was a bit close, edging the less renowned Ugandan side at 1-0 result.
Still, the fighting ability of the home side must have suggested to legions of Simba SC fans that anything could have happened, such that even by the time the game drew to a close, they had a feeling of good luck in the match in like manner as Yanga fans had a feeling of bad luck.
Yanga did everything to win the game against AS Real Bamako but luck was not on their side, just as Vipers SC did everything to level up but it just did not work out.
The result was more convivial and surprisingly more generous on both sides, as opinions among the fans tended to cancel the difference between the side which won and the side which lost, summing up the weekend in a two-week upbeat or rather a satisfactory mood.
The first element was checking a loss tendency on the part of the Msimbazi Street side, not for the 1-0 loss to Horoya Athletic Club as that did not excite or animate their fans.
What disturbed them was the 3-0 loss to Raja Club Athletic at home, which they had now corrected with an away win.
The second was the good show that Yanga put on at Bamako, not repeating a feat like the 3-1 win over TP Mazembe but enough to draw the line under the 2-0 loss away to US Monastir earlier.
The late equalizer by AS Real Bamako, or more popular as Real Bamako, was something that the fans could raise disputes about or supposedly technical inputs, even as there were some efforts here and there to figure out how the Real Bamako goal could have been prevented.
Yet the majority could see it was just an excellent header, in a goalmouth melee.
Praising one another was understandable for this particular weekend as no one messed up, and no one could cry about chest-thumping in victory, as Simba SC has a more competitive tournament and pulled a win, which ought to draw respect from the archrivals.
Vipers SC were the guests of Yanga, on the latter's annual festivity, and they nailed the home side at a convincing 2-0 win, in like manner as Yanga lost at US Monastir.
For Simba SC to defeat Vipers SC on the latter's turf is, thus, something Yanga fans would respect.
Wishing each other well is, in the first place, a sign of mutual respect, and at a technical level, there was a commonly shared feeling that the two local sides were still engaged in the competition, as they have three matches to go. Simba SC must host Horoya Athletic Club and Vipers SC.
They will then travel to see Raja Club Athletic on their turf and hope for the best in all of those matches, a tough climb.
There is a shared feeling among their fans that they can tame Horoya Athletic Club even with a win, and take it as assured that they will defeat Vipers SC again, especially as they will be at home
Despite that, the rallying cry that no visiting side wins at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, popularly known as 'Estadio Lupaso', which in any case Vipers SC had disproved in a friendly international against Yanga last August, and Raja Club Athletic put it to complete ridicule, but the feeling remains that the home ground ought to assure our teams' victory.
It can be said that this is the walking stick that gives the two city rivals hope that they are still in contention, in their respective competition, as arithmetically they will proceed if they win the local matches and get a point on foreign ground.
That was visible this week, as one side won on the foreign ground and another had their slim advantage cancelled but on stoppage time.
That goes a long way to show that there are surprises on the sleeves for both sides, as the neat mathematics of winning at home and getting a point outside, or even winning at times, sort of gained currency at the weekend but it is a steep hill to climb.
Outside Raja Club Athletic, who has gained tremendous respect in the city for its ability to solidly whip Simba SC on its local turf, the others are still perhaps underrated, and this could prove a weakness.
Yet that is all that could be expected from the fans and pundits, as they cannot say ‘the deal is closed this year,’ and as they often say in football, ‘it is not done until it is done,’ so keep your fingers crossed.
_0.jpg?itok=QU87XW8D){kind=tracking}
.jpeg?itok=vCj6bCRe)
