AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMBA skipper John Bocco and Perfect Chikwende have been dropped from the squad set to face AS Vita in their first group stage match of the CAF Champions League in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo this Friday.
The country’s envoys left yesterday fully armed to put the DR Congo side on the sword as they target to cruise into the semi-final of the prestigious club football showpiece on the continent.
Commenting on the absence of Bocco, the club’s Information Officer Haji Manara said the skipper is not fully 100 per cent fit to make the trip even though he has started individual training sessions.
“All other players except Bocco are in good shape ready to fight for the team on Friday and we need nothing else other than victory to start our group stage mission well,” he said.
He added that the club’s squadron which has made the trip consists of 27 players, 9 technical bench members plus 9 leaders looking forward to record the essential away win against a tough opponent.
On the other hand, the issue of Chikwende is all about the guidelines of the champions league which does not require a player to feature in the competition while playing for two different clubs in one season.
Before landing at Simba, Chikwende was parading for Zimbabwe side FC Platinum which got eliminated in the preliminary round of the champions league this season by Simba hence automatically, he is disqualified from appearing in the same competition with another club.
This means the Zimbabwean will only be featured in the domestic football leagues like the Premier League and Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC) respectively.
Simba are packed in group A together with Al Merreikh (Sudan), Al Ahly (Egypt) and AS Vita (DR Congo) and they have made a history of becoming the first team in the country to step into the group stages of champions league twice in three consecutive seasons.
The full squad of Simba comprises of the following players: Aishi Manula, Beno Kakolanya, Ally Juma, Shomari Kapombe, Joash Onyango, Pascal Wawa, Ibrahim Ame, Erasto Nyoni and Peter Muduhwa.
Others are Kennedy Juma, Gadiel Micheal, Mohamed Hussein, Tadeo Lwanga, Jonas Mkude, Rally Bwalya, Said Ndemla, Mzamiru Yassin, Louis Miquissone, Hassan Dilunga, Ibrahim Ajibu and Clatous Chama.
Also, the list has Bernard Morrison, Francis Kahata, Meddie Kagere, Miraji Athumani, Chris Mugalu and Junior Lokosa.
