Striker Pape Ndiaye scored and missed a penalty as the Guinean champions held on to beat Tanzania’s Simba SC 1-0 in Conakry and get their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group C campaign well on track.
Horoya had to live the last quarter of an hour on the edge of their seats, especially after Ndiaye missed his penalty as Simba mounted pressure on them.
The victory sees them sit second in the group behind Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic who thrashed Vipers SC of Uganda 5-0 in their opening match on Friday.
The home side got into the lead after 18 minutes when an unmarked Ndiaye nodded home a header from the far post off a well delivered corner from Amadou Djibo. They were dominant and should have gone to the break two up but they couldn’t bury the chances that came their way.
Five minutes into the second half, they had another golden chance when a deflected cross found Djibo at the back post, but he could not land his header on target with a gaping goalmouth. On the other end, Simba had a chance when Clatous Chama curled in a freekick, but the keeper turned it behind for a corner.
In the 72nd minute, Horoya should have closed out the game from the spot after Joash Onyango had handled inside the box, but Ndiaye saw his penalty saved by Aishi Manula.
From then on, Simba mounted the attack with Chama striking the ball over from close range in the 75th minute before substitute John Bocco dinked the ball wide one on one with the keeper.
Horoya keeper Moussa Camara made a brilliant save with seven minutes left to keep out a header from Sadio Kanoute before Bocco had another chance blocked from inside the box.
Simba’s efforts to earn a draw on enemy territory were not successful and they now switch their attention to next weekend when they host the high-flying Raja in Dar es Salaam while Horoya travel away to Kampala to take on Vipers.
By Brian Mboh