It was Boca's second successive defeat, and they are two from bottom with 11 points after 12 matches of the Clausura championship, 16 points behind leaders Independiente.
Simeone quit as San Lorenzo coach on Saturday after their 1-0 home defeat by Gimnasia-La Plata. San Lorenzo also have 11 points from 12 matches.
Boca's Argentina striker Martin Palermo said everyone at the club was to blame for the lowest ebb he has seen at the club, four times South American champions in the last decade, since his debut in 1997.
"Boca are not used to experiencing this kind of situation," he told reporters.
To add to Boca's woes, playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme was sent off after Central's winning goal four minutes from time, booked twice in quick succession by referee Rafael Furchi, apparently for dissent.
Riquelme laid on the equaliser on the hour for striker Nicolas Gaitan after Adrian de Leon had put Central in front from defender Guillermo Burdisso's header just before halftime.
Independiente have 27 points from 12 matches and Godoy Cruz 24 with Argentinos Juniors third on 22 after Saturday's 2-1 win over Chacarita Juniors.
Estudiantes goalkeeper Agustin Orion saved a second-half penalty from Banfield's Uruguay forward Sebastian Fernandez with the score 1-1 following Marcelo Quinteros's 40th-minute equaliser.
