Author: BENJAMIN BEN
AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMBA Head Coach Sven Vandenbroeck has cautioned his side not to be overconfident ahead of their tough CAF Champions League (CAF CL) match against Plateau United set in Nigeria this week.
The defending champions were on rampage, following a heavy 7-0 win over Coastal Union at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha over the weekend. The victory awarded the team vital three points, and as well, helped the team to bridge a gap with traditional rivals Young Africans and Azam, both slight above the Msimbazi Street side.
It was their last Premier League game before they travel to Nigeria for the first leg match this weekend before the return leg between December 4th and 6th in Dar es Salaam. Skipper John Bocco netted his side’s first hat trick of the season on the day as Zambian playmaker Clatous Chama pumped in a brace while Hassan Dilunga and Bernard Morrison contributed a goal each.
For Morrison, he scored his first goal this season while parading for the reigning champions in the unfolding campaign, hence it was a good day at the office for the Ugandan player. But, at a post-match briefing, Vandenbroeck insisted on his boys not to be over confident saying they will face a different opponent in the CAF Championship League.
“There is a risk after winning 7-0 because people become too confident but we do not need to be like that because we will face a strong opponent. “It was a good preparation, good image but we still need to be aware of the danger that awaits us in Nigeria,” said the Belgian coach whose team has since scored a total of 29 goals, more than any other on the table.
He added that everyone in his squad is fit and motivated to make the trip to Nigeria while cementing that the team will be further strengthened with the arrival of Meddie Kagere and Louis Miquissone. Again, Vandenbroeck said from the start of the game, everyone played with big motivation to create a good image before travelling to Nigeria.
“Generally, I cannot say much because the 7-0 win shows that we were very dominant of the whole game but in the second half, our tempo slowed because we were already 5-0 up and in the mind of players, they knew that they were traveling…that was logic,” he said. His counterpart Juma Mgunda conceded the defeat saying they had to blame themselves for the technical blunders they made during the encounter.
“I accept the results and all the goals scored were derived from our own mistakes that are why I say I have fully accepted the outcome as my players repeatedly conducted the same mistakes inside our territory. “The best thing we had to do especially in the second half was to minimise making mistakes of which we succeeded a bit.
“As a coach, what I will do is to train hard to correct the emerged mistakes for them not to resurface again in our upcoming league duels,” said Mgunda whose team has conceded 17 goals from eleven matches to occupy 13th slot with 12 points.
