Africa-Press – Tanzania. AFTER their sensational 2-1 win over Azam on Saturday night, upbeat Simba today head to Zanzibar for the 2022 Mapinduzi Cup conquest.
The defending champions opened the New Year with a spectacular victory in their hotly contested ‘Mziz- ima Derby’ against Azam at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the city to pick vital points that place them five points behind the leaders Young Africans.
On form Pape Sakho scored a second-half brace to propel his team to the important win while substitute Rodgers Kola netted a brilliant consolation goal for Azam, but it was not enough to upset the defending champions.
The Msimbazi Street Reds have now grabbed 24 points from ten games against 29 points garnered by their rivals Yanga, who however played eleven matches as opposed to Simba with a game in hand.
However, it was a double celebration for Simba as the victory made them the first NBC Premier League side to stamp a victory in 2022, hence an indication that they have begun well the year.
Speaking after the match, the club’s Chairman Murtaza Mangungu disclosed that they expect to depart for the Isles today for the ongoing Mapinduzi Cup tournament, which was officially stated in the Isles yesterday.
Commenting on the game itself, Mangungu said based on the status of football they displayed, it clearly shows that they are still an aggressive side capable to win titles.
“We have not just won the match but also played entertaining football of which our members and fans all over the world are pleased with what they have seen from their team,” the chairman said.
Queried on who they want to bring aboard during the ongoing mini-transfer window, Mangungu replied that they are silently working on the issue and that when everything is ready, they will release the information.
On his part, Azam Information Officer Thabit Zakaria conceded the defeat saying they lost focus in the second half of though they played better football than in the first half.
He also elaborated that missing six of the team’s regular players was not a guarantee that if they were present they could have won the match while hailing those who played on the day for good performance.
Moreover, Zakaria pointed out that they will deploy a mixture of players for the Mapinduzi Cup tournament in order to give playing time for those who are not regularly featured.
Azam will begin their Mapinduzi Cup campaign against Meli 4 City tomorrow in a group A match from 8:15 pm.
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