AfricaPress-Tanzania: REIGNING champions Simba believe they are well armed to gun down Dodoma Jiji as the two sides meet at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma tomorrow.
The match was deliberately spared to give Simba a chance to feature in the CAF Champions League as the country’s envoys in the continent’s biggest club competition.
Simba fought gallantly to win a ticket to play in the tournament’s group stages.
A win will be vital for the visitors who desperately need to pocket crucial three points in most league games in order to keep pace with leaders Young Africans and make the title chase colourful.
With 35 points from 15 duels, the defending champions are aware that they trail Yanga with 9 points meaning that if they succeed in all their three matches in hand, they will overtake the Jangwani Street-based club courtesy of goal difference.
Simba have so far netted 37 goals from 15 matches, more than any other team in the league while their main rivals Yanga have scored 29 goals from 18 clashes.
Simba are going to Dodoma a well drilled side after staging the recently held Simba Super Cup. Simba defeated Sudan giants Al Hilal 4-1 at Benjamin Mkapa and went on to draw 0-0 with TP Mazembe of Congo DR.
Speaking recently in the city, the club’s Information Officer Haji Manara said the team is expected to leave Dar es Salaam today heading to the battlefield with players looking forward to win the game.
“We are going to Dodoma to get all three points to continue scaling up the league table. The game is going to be tough but we have had good preparations to do well there,” he said.
It will be the first Mainland Premier League match for the team’s Head Coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa who on several occasions has been reiterating that his main target is to ensure that Simba retains the silverware.
He once said winning the top flight league consistently will assure them frequent appearance in the champions league that is why their top priority is on the clinching of the domestic title.
On the other hand, hosts Dodoma Jiji are not a side to be easily written off mainly when they take on league giants (Yanga, Simba or Azam).
They too demand triumph to move up on the ladders away from their current 10th slot which is not completely safe for them as far as staying put in the contest next season is concerned.
They do have 22 points in the bag after six wins, four draws and seven losses.
Their past game before the league was momentarily suspended, it was an upset for them after losing 1-0 to Mwadui FC in Shinyanga.
