AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE newly signed Simba attacker Perfect Chikwende said the existing competition in the team will help to improve his career.
The former FC Platinum player has lately been the talking subject by many football fans in the country basing on his superb performance he showed while serving for the Zimbabwe outfits in the CAF Champions League (CAF CL) games.
However, speaking recently, Chikwende vowed to fight to his ability to easily catch up with what he described as a competitive squad for the country’s envoys in the CAF CL.
“Definitely, I am happy to sign for Simba and I am much aware that it is a strong side which needs one to work very hard to perfectly fit in. “I will fight to get to my level best in whatever I will do. I am planning so hard so that I can easily fit in the team and that is my main pledge,” said him.
However, recently, Simba Assistant Coach Selemani Matola commented on the team’s player recruitment system saying it is good and usually helps the team.
His sentiments came as he cleared the air on accusations that the club tends to sign those players who score goal(s) against them.
“I think it is all about understanding well the player when you directly face him in both home and away matches because you get a chance to see him better. In such cases, if you have an opportunity, it is better to sign him. “It is advisable to recruit a player you have seen playing. I therefore think that they do the right thing to sign those players who look dangerous in their sides when facing us” he said.
Commenting about their group A of the CAF CL, Matola acknowledged that it is a tough category that is why they need to begin preparations early to stand a good chance of doing better.
“It is called the League of Champions meaning that you cannot find a weak opponent in such competition. But, most of our players are not new to the contest as they reached the same stage (group stage 2018) and the following year, we could not make it further. “Now, we are again in the group stages as such, players are aware of what they ought to do and how to challenge their opponents in the group. The competition requires people who are mentality and physically fit,” Matola disclosed.
About the team’s new signing Thadeo Lwanga who was featured recently during the 2021 Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar, Matola described him as one of the upcoming best holding midfielders to command the Premier League.
“He is a fighter and knows football a lot. By the time we bought him, he was not yet fully fit but during the Mapinduzi Cup, he has proved that he will be of great help to our club,” said Matola.
Simba will begin their CAF CL campaign by visiting AS Vita on February 12th before hosting Al Ahly at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on February 23rd.
