AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMBA SC defender Gadiel Micheal named the match against UD Songo in the CAF Champions League (CAF CL) preliminary round as the most memorable for him ever since he joined the club last season.
On the day, Simba were eliminated from the prestigious competition on the continent after being held to a 1-1 draw against the Mozambique based club at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The first leg in Mozambique elapsed scoreless hence the visitors progressed courtesy of a crucial away goal while the hosts missed another glittering chance to go deep into the contest.
Simba scored via Erasto Nyoni while Luis Misquissone netted for the visitors to navigate them into the next stage of the competition and the same performance he showed on the day landed him a job at the Msimbazi Street based club.
“That is the game I still remember in my life because as a club, we had big expectations of proceeding into the next round of the competition but that dream was affected after the normal period of play,” Michael said recently in the city.
He then disclosed that after playing for three big teams in the country Azam FC, Young Africans and Simba, his ambition now is to go further with his football profession.
“I can say here in Tanzania, I have succeeded to play for the biggest clubs such that now, my focus is to reach further so that I can upgrade my skills in this game,” he said.
About what convinced him to leave Yanga and join traditional rivals Simba, he replied that the level of investment and seriousness of the club itself were what compelled him to cross the boundaries.
“I joined Simba when they were still playing in the CAF CL as such, I saw it a big platform to market myself bearing in mind that the competition is watched by many people across the world.
“Simba have invested a lot and I am sure that in ten years period, they will be very far than where they are now. The unity and good cooperation make the club a good place for us to thrive,” he said.
Additionally, the left back revealed that he enjoyed a lot his football career while at Yanga saying he played many games and spent a long time there hence learnt many things.
“I had a chance to play more games at Yanga and it is where I enjoyed my career. I cannot say much about Simba because I am still new and in the process to learn the culture of the club,” he said.
Again, Michael narrated that he was particularly happy when he was once given the captain armband against Stand United in a top flight league by Head Coach Sven Vandenbroeck.
“It was a big honor for me and I was very happy because I knew that the coach had seen something positive in me hence decided to let me command my team on the day,” he said.
Moreover, the defender pointed out that he was extremely excited on the day when he was selected to join the national team Taifa Stars for the first time.
“By then, I was playing at Azam FC and the first game I played in the senior national team was against Lesotho. Honestly, I was happy on that day,” he remarked.
