Africa-Press – Tanzania. SIMBA Head Coach Didier Gomes has said perfect atmosphere in the team’s camp is propelling them forward and he sees no hurdle for the Reds to win the Mainland Premier League title for the fourth season in a row.
The French tactician said every player in his team is happy, including those who do not enjoy regular playing time.
The defending champions need just three points from their remaining five league games to retain the league title for fourth time in a row and their 22nd league silverware in history of the club.
A massive 4-1 triumph over Mbeya City on Tuesday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam meant that Simba will be declared champions, if they manage to defeat their traditional rivals Young Africans on July 3rd at the same venue.
Goals by Rally Bwalya, Luis Miquissone, Captain John Bocco and Clatous Chama earned Simba the crucial victory, while Mbeya City’s consolation goal was netted by Pastory Athanas.
The victory saw Simba posting 73 points from 29 outings, sitting top of the table six points above their closest challengers and traditional rivals Yanga, who have 67 points from 31 matches, while Azam FC are distant third on 64 points from 32 matches.
“There is no problem in my team, we have good management and everybody is happy even when they get limited playing time. We are united and we have to continue like this until the end of the season,” said Gomes at a post-match press briefing.
He also said that he has no problem with his striking department, which has contributed many goals for the team this season.
“We do a lot of finishing sessions during training, almost three to four times per week, it is very important to be more efficient and clinical in front of the goal. “I’m confident in Chris Mugalu, John Bocco and Meddie Kagere, who together have already netted 35 goals this season and I have no problem with this department,” he said.
Asked what sort of traditional derby match he is expecting on July 3rd, the coach replied that he cannot say anything regarding the game but he said that he has seen a number of Yanga matches including their recent 3-2 win against bottom placed Mwadui.
His colleague for Mbeya City Mathias Lule said his charges failed to respect their game plan as they did much defending than attacking.
“It pains losing a match but the battle is still going on and we need to go back and see on what we can do in our remaining matches,” Lule said.
He further pointed out that there is no way his team can be relegated this season, saying the team has significantly improved compared to where they came from. “Playing a defensive game was not in our game plan but once on the field, my players ignored the attacking strategy, thereby inviting Simba in our territory,” he said.
It took Simba half an hour to register their opening goal via Bwalya and four minutes later, Miquissone increased the tally as the Msimbazi Street side maintained pressure. At the restart, Bocco powered in the third goal in the 46th minute before substitute Chama finished the business in the 84th minute to overweigh their opponents.
For the visitors, who also wanted to snatch maximum three points on the day registered their only goal via Athanas in the 60th minute but could not help to make any impact to them.
The defeat leave Mbeya City on 13th place with 36 points, Mbeya City are not completely safe on the standings and the only way to uplift themselves is to grab maximum points in their remaining two matches. Meanwhile, Gwambina FC earned vital three points to slightly crawl away from the Mainland Premier League relegation zone, following a 2-0 victory over Dodoma Jiji at the Gwambina Complex in Mwanza yesterday.
The hosts took the lead through striker Paul Nonga in the 9th minute, when he nodded home a cross from the right to beat goalkeeper Peter Manyika Jr. Gwambina ought to have netted the second in the 20th minute but Anderson Kimweri failed to tap in Nonga’s cross inside the box with only yawning net to beat.
Mustafa Simon scored the second a minute before the interval, results which saw Gwambina earning 43 points from 32 games leapfrogging Coastal Union in the 16th position in the league standing.
However, Gwambina still need to fight harder to rescue themselves from relegation zone, as they are among four sides buried deep in the red tape zone.
Apart from Gwambina and Coastal Union, who are tied on 34 points, the other side is Ihefu FC, which is placed 15th with 35 points from 32 outings and Mwadui FC, who have already been relegated after posting 19 points from 32 matches.
