Fadlu Davids draws on Orlando Pirates’ spirit after Simba’s CAF final qualification

Former Orlando Pirates coach Fadlu Davids is set to channel his inner Buccaneer after leading Simba SC to the CAF Confederation Cup final following a tense semi-final against Stellenbosch FC.

The Tanzanian giants booked their place in the 2025 final after narrowly edging Stellenbosch 1-0 on aggregate over two legs. A first-leg victory in Zanzibar proved enough, as they fought to a goalless stalemate at a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Sunday afternoon.

Davids, who once stood on the brink of the same title with Pirates in 2022, will now prepare his Simba side to take on RS Berkane — ironically, the same club that denied him glory two years ago.

For Simba, this is a historic breakthrough into their first continental final. For Davids, it’s a second chance to lay his hands on a trophy that slipped through his fingers at Pirates. And fittingly, it came with a timely reminder from back home.

“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',” said Davids.

“That match still haunts me. We beat Simba in the quarter-finals. We beat Al Ahli Tripoli, and we got Berkane, and we lost on penalties. So, Berkane is an improved side. We played against this coach (Mouin Chaâbani) last season (with Raja Casablanca).”

While the narrative of redemption dominates, Davids remains grounded. Simba’s journey is not over yet — not on the continent, nor domestically. 

They are still embroiled in a fierce title race in the Tanzanian Premier League, where their ambitions are far from settled.

“But of course, we also have four important league matches now in the space of two weeks before we travel to Morocco. So we will celebrate, have two days off, and focus on collecting our points to catch up to the 12 points that we are behind (Young Africans).”

Currently second on the table, Simba trail bitter rivals Young Africans by 12 points.  However, Davids and his team's four games in hand mean they are still very much alive in the race—if they can turn them into maximum points.

The CAF Confederation Cup final against Berkane, though, remains the biggest task on the horizon.

For Davids, a victory in against Berkane would not only rewrite Simba’s history books but also heal a painful memory from his Pirates tenure — a chance at redemption that few coaches ever get twice.

The Cape Town-born coach has been heavily linked with a move back to his former side as speculation around the next Pirates coach heats up. Current head honcho Jose Riveiro will depart the Soweto giants at the end of the season and will leave room for a successor, with many hoping Davids takes up the responsibility.