CAF rejected every stadium in Equatorial Guinea. FC 15 de Agosto host Simba SC at Dar es Salaam’s Uhuru Stadium on Wednesday 21 October 2026, behind closed doors. Ahmed Ally, Simba SC’s head of communications and spokesperson, confirms the Equatoguinean request.
A decidedly out-of-the-ordinary CAF Champions League first leg is in store between Akonibé’s FC 15 de Agosto and Simba SC. With no approved ground of their own, the Equatoguinean club have chosen to move their home fixture to the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — on their opponents’ soil. CAF has indeed rejected every stadium in Equatorial Guinea for failing to meet continental standards, according to SuperSport.
The conditions for this first leg are now known: it will be played strictly behind closed doors on Wednesday 21 October 2026. Ahmed Ally confirmed to KickOff that the request came from the Equatoguinean club. The return leg will take place at the same venue on Sunday 25 October 2026, this time with fans in attendance.
15 de Agosto without an approved ground
With no stadium in Equatorial Guinea meeting continental standards, the club had to look for another venue. According to SuperSport, Dar es Salaam’s Uhuru Stadium in Tanzania was chosen to host both matches.
The decision to play the first leg without spectators came from the Equatoguinean camp. “The official information is that both matches against 15 de Agosto will be played on Tanzanian soil. In our preliminary discussions, their representatives asked for the match where they are at home to be played without spectators,” Ahmed Ally told KickOff. Sources give no other reason for the request.
Simba SC’s Tanzanian supporters are therefore left without a stadium in their own city for this first leg, according to SuperSport.
A confident Simba SC
Head coach Steve Barker, a South African, goes into this preliminary round with a team in form. In the first preliminary round, Simba SC thrashed Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers 7-1 on aggregate. In the Tanzanian league, the side have a perfect record: 8 wins from 8 matches, according to SuperSport.
Their last known result dates from 10 October: a 2-1 win in the derby against their eternal rivals Young Africans.
“The Champions League is obviously another massive objective for us. It’s one step at a time, and we want to reach the group stage. It’s crucial to get through this preliminary round against 15 de Agosto,” Steve Barker told The Guardian Tanzania.
A sixth group-stage appearance in their sights
The Tanzanian club are targeting a sixth qualification for the group stage of Africa’s premier club competition in the last nine editions of the tournament, according to SuperSport. Simba SC have reached the quarter-finals of the African Champions League four times since 2019.
The return leg on Sunday 25 October will be the only match of the two-legged tie played in front of a crowd.