AfricaPress-Tanzania: CHAMPIONS Simba SC are set to depart today for their 37th Mainland Premier League match against Coastal Union slated at Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga tomorrow.
The game is expected to be of low tempo as neither of the two teams has pressure to pocket maximum three points, since they are both assured of league reappearance next season.
Simba top the standing on 84 points from 36 matches so far, while Coastal Union are sixth on 52 points from same number of matches.
However, for Simba, after missing out their initial target to end the season with 100 plus points, if they excel to win their next two encounters, they will complete this term with 90 points.
This means Simba have failed to leapfrog their own last season record whereby they clinched the title with 93 points after 38 matches.
Coastal Union have had a flat tire in five of their past games, whereby they lost four matches and drew one.
It all started with a 1-0 loss to Alliance FC, 3-1 defeat from Mbeya City, 2-1 downfall from Tanzania Prisons and a 1-0 nosedive from Kagera Sugar, before they gained one point following a recent 1-1 draw against Biashara United.
After tomorrow’s match, Simba will proceed to Moshi to take on Polisi Tanzania, who have also been assured to stay put in the contest next season as they comfortably sit on 5th place with 54 points and could add the tally if they succeed over JKT Tanzania tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Simba’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senzo Mazingiza reiterated that if they really want to compete with giant teams in the CAF Champions League (CAF CL) games, they deserve to strengthen their current squad.
“Every week, the registration committee of the club of which I am part of it, meet to look on the available options and soon, we will name the players to join the club,” he said.
In a related development, Simba’s lethal striker Meddie Kagere has just one goal remaining before he can equal the 23 goal tally he scored last season and earned him the golden boot.
So far, the Rwandan hit man has pumped in 22 goals and could have produced a hat trick in their 5-1 demolition of Alliance FC, in which he netted a brace.
This means out of the 76 goals scored so far by Simba, Kagere alone has contributed 22 goals, while the remaining 54 goals have been added by other players of the club.
After Simba, the next team with more goals so far is Azam, which has netted 49 goals, the third slot goes to Namungo with 44 goals, Young Africans are fourth with 43 goals, whereas Lipuli sit fifth with 42 goals.
