Mogadishu City hold Simba SC in goalless 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup opener (Photos)

Six-time champions Simba SC were forced to settle for a frustrating 0-0 draw against Somalia’s Mogadishu City Club as the two sides shared the spoils in their opening Group B match of the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup at Kigali Pelé Stadium on Saturday.

The Tanzanian giants entered the tournament among the favourites to lift the regional title and dominated large spells of the contest, but they were unable to find a way past a disciplined Mogadishu City defence that stood firm throughout the 90 minutes.

Simba made an energetic start, pressing high up the pitch and pinning the Somali side inside their own half during the opening exchanges.

Their first real opportunity came in the 10th minute when Ali Hussain broke into the penalty area, only to see his effort deflected behind for a corner.

The closest Simba came to breaking the deadlock arrived midway through the first half.

Frank Kameta burst into the box before attempting to square the ball to Jospin Loemba, but Ahmed Hassan produced a superb last-ditch interception to deny what looked a certain opening goal.

Mogadishu City, however, proved dangerous on the counterattack.

Naby Bangoura produced the best chance in the 28th minute after weaving past several Simba defenders, but his powerful effort sailed over the crossbar.

Earlier, Adan Yussuf had also threatened with a dangerous cross that was cleared away by Anthony Mligo before it could trouble the goalkeeper.

As the first half progressed, Simba continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession but lacked the cutting edge needed to unlock the Somali outfit.

The teams went into the interval goalless after a tightly contested opening 45 minutes.

Simba resumed the second half with renewed intensity and continued to push forward in search of the breakthrough.

Jospin Loemba tried his luck from distance shortly after the hour mark, but his strike flew over the bar, while head coach made a series of attacking substitutions by introducing experienced playmaker Clautus Chama, Anicet Alain Oura, Matlala Makgalwa, Alexander Mwakapambika and Nickson Kibabage in an attempt to inject fresh energy into the attack.

Despite the changes, Mogadishu City remained compact defensively and frustrated every Simba attack.

Goalkeeper Onyeama Albert Kamara produced another composed display and was shown a late yellow card for time-wasting as the Somali side protected a valuable point in the closing stages.

Simba’s Anthony Richard Mligo was also cautioned during the second half, while Mogadishu City’s Ilyas Akram Khamis and Kamara received yellow cards for the visitors.

The Tanzanian side thought they had found a breakthrough on one occasion when Ibrahim Doumbia’s effort appeared destined for the net, but a heroic goal-line clearance preserved Mogadishu City's clean sheet.

The result marks a positive start for Mogadishu City Club, who produced one of the standout defensive performances of the opening round, while Simba SC will feel they missed an opportunity to claim all three points despite controlling much of the match.

Photos