Africa-Press – Tanzania. SIMBA Head Coach Sven Vandenbroeck said his obligation is to win the remaining two games in hand so as to stay firm in the Premier League race.
Simba, the Tanzanian envoys in the CAF Champions League are at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe to play against FC Platinum in the first leg encounter before the two sides meet again at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam early next year.
On the other hand, the country’s representatives in CAF Confederation Cup, Namungo welcome the Sudanese team at Azam Complex in the city as they aim to continue their perfect run in the competition.
In 2017, El Hilal Obeid reached into the quarterfinals of the CAF Confederation Cup, their best performance in the competition which they are featuring for the fourth time now hence, Namungo should not underrate them.
However, speaking recently via a telephone interview from Harare, Simba’s manager Abbas Seleman said the players are responding well to the training sessions imparted to them before the crucial match.
“The entire squad comprising of 24 players and technical bench members plus other leaders of the club are all well looking forward to the game. “What we request at this juncture from our members and fans wherever they are including all Tanzanians is to pray for their team to win so that we can have an advantage while heading to the reverse game at home,” he said.
He continued: “When we win, it means the whole country has won that is why we call upon all Tanzanians to give us full support.”
While in Zimbabwe, Simba have received full blessings from the Tanzania ambassador to Zimbabwe Emmanuel Mbenna who through a video clip produced by Simba TV, has wished the team all the best.
“Whenever you see a Lion moving, just know that it is hunting otherwise, it can just stay at one place resting. You are here hunting for the success. From your training sessions, I have seen that you are serious about winning the game and bring the pride back home,” he said.
To reach this stage, Simba crashed out Nigerian side Plateau United by an aggregate of 1-0 courtesy of an all-important away goal netted by locomotive midfielder Clatous Chama.
The club has since vowed that their target is to reach in the semifinals of the CAF CL in order to break their own record they stamped in 2018 where they reached into the quarterfinals of the hot football competition on the continent.
To the side of Namungo, Head Coach Hemedi Morocco said they gained experience from their past game against Al Rabita which saw them winning 3-0 in the first leg while the second leg tie was cancelled by CAF.
“We have the vision to go further into the competition as such; we are leaving no stone unturned as we prepare for the incoming battle. We are trying our best to solve common mistakes which happen in football to make our side competitive,” he said.
He then conceded that his team has got finishing problems like the way they did in their game versus Al Rabita but insisted that he believes his charges will adapt to what he trains them so that they do not waste scoring opportunities.
