FEVER has gripped fans and teams here as Tanzania football giants; Simba and Young Africans head for their Mapinduzi Cup’s opening matches in Pemba and Zanzibar respectively today.
Yanga who test this year’s tournament by facing Jamhuri at Amaan Stadium here, are optimistic to win the 13th edition after missing it last year.
The team’s manager Abeid Mziba said here yesterday during a press conference at Z anzibar Football Federation’s offices that they have a formidable squad that can easily overpower any team.
He said they play Jamhuri, one of Yanga’s friends from Zanzibar, but that friendship will be put aside today when executing their duties.
” Jamhuri are our close Isles relatives, we respect them, but we won’t spare them when on the pitch. We want to win the match and advance,” said Mziba.
Commenting on the newly introduced knock out format, Mziba said it is better than the league format for the winners, but bitter to the losers.
On his side, Jamhuri FC skipper Mohamed Juma Mohamed said they are well drilled for today’s challenge and hopes his team to get positive results.
He said they want to revenge against the team that handed them a heavy defeat last year. “We conceded a big number of goals last year, our opponents should not think it will be the same this year,” said the skipper.
Supporting the skipper, Jamhuri FC Coach Mustafa Seif Suleiman said it will be a fierce battle, but his gallant would emerge victors at the end.
Jamhuri suffered a 6-0 loss to Yanga when the teams met at Amaan Stadium here last year.
In retrospect, the match between Simba and Zimamoto at Gombani Stadium in Pemba has also been a big talk in various areas of the Zanzibar and Pemba.
Zimamoto Head Coach Hassan Abdulrahman said he expected a tough encounter against Simba, but he believes his boys would emerge victors at the end of tense 90 minutes.
Simba, who firmly hold the Mainland Premier League’s helm are pooled in a group B whose matches are staged at Gombani Stadium in Pemba.
The coach told reporters here that the knockout format would serve his team well by kicking out Simba out of this year’s Mapinduzi Cup race.
He, however, admitted he was going to face one of the best teams in the region; hence they will play a cautious game to ensure they win at the end.
Zimamoto, like Simba are in a group B alongside Chipukizi and Mtibwa, who played their yesterday.
