Africa-Press – Tanzania. SIMBA have maintained that they have not yet given up their hopes of cruising into the CAF Champions League (CAF CL) semifinals despite a mountainous task ahead of them.
The country’s sole envoys in CAF clubs championships are already on the battlefield plotting to capsize Kaizer Chiefs from South Africa tomorrow at the 60,000 capacity Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The Reds have only one job to reverse the first leg 4-0 stumble they suffered from their opponents at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa last Saturday by ensuring that they win 5-0 or more goals to progress into the last four.
“The biggest thing is that we believe in ourselves without losing hope that we can win the game.
“They won at their home turf and now, we are at home too, where we usually record good results, we need to be fully prepared because playing well alone without determination is nothing,” said the team’s skipper John Bocco at their Mo Simba training facility in Bunju, Dar es Salaam yesterday.
He added that throughout the 90 minutes of play, they will have the mentality to win at all cost after losing the first leg battle.
“For now, our energy and focus has been dedicated to the training sessions and we are responding well to training programmes through correcting mistakes, which surfaced in the previous encounter.
“We believe that God will help us to get results which will take us to the next stage of the contest,” Bocco said.
Giving a message to Simba fans, the captain thanked them for always rallying behind the players, calling them to rally behind the team tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Simba’s legendary striker Zamoyoni Mogella has said only tactical discipline will save his club against South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs in second leg encounter of quarter final game this weekend, reports Clecence Kunambi.
Mogella, who also had stint at Yanga in 1990s, said that nothing is impossible in football but he said Simba will need nothing than tactical discipline to sweep past the ‘Amakhosi’ to progress into the semifinal stage.
“I watched their game against Kaizer Chiefs and what I can say, overconfidence had cost them. I didn’t see any lack of qualities in their squad but the players somewhat underestimated their opponents. They should not repeat the same mistake at home.
“They need to approach the game with discipline and have to be very clinical in front of goal and restrict Kaizer Chiefs from creating scoring chances.
If Simba will manage to score an early goal the better because it will certainly motivate them,” said Mogella.
When asked if Simba can replicate their 1979’s miracle when they beat Zambia’s Mufulira Wanderers by 5-0 in their own soil, the results which came after they lost by 4-0 in Dar es Salaam, Mogella said anything can happen in football and he insisted it is not going to be easy.
“It will be totally different match in Benjamin Mkapa. I can’t guarantee Simba will progress into the next stage but I believe they can beat Kaizer Chiefs but whether the victory will be enough to progress into semis, we have to wait and see what will happen,” said the former prolific goal scorer
