AfricaPress-Tanzania: AFTER clinching the Community Shield trophy, Simba Head Coach Sven Vandenbroeck believes that they can achieve more this season if they continue to play as a team.
The Premier League’s defending champions began the new season with Community Shield silverware courtesy of a 2-0 win over Namungo FC at Sheikh Amri Abeid Kaluta Stadium in Arusha on Sunday.
They replicated the same format of last season when they smashed Azam FC 3-2 to lift the same honour and went on to lift the top flight league plus the Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC).
But, commenting on the team after the match, Vandenbroeck said the good results were made possible not because of individual brilliance but rather the team work approach.
“The team work and solidarity helped us attack and defend wisely. That is good for us as we want to maintain our winning run this season.
“We dominated the game, and I think all the dangerous moves came from us while Namungo had a few chances from a distance as such, the whole 90 minutes were for us,” said the Belgian coach.
He went on: “If we keep the team for the rest of the season, we can achieve great things.”However, Vandenbroeck reiterated that everyone has equal chance to do well this season while cementing that if they continue with the work rate displayed, they can go far.
“I know the league will be tight as the teams have been reduced to 18, hence everyone will have ample time to recover as such, even small teams will be causing us problems,” he noted.
Again, the coach admitted that their traditional rivals Young Africans have too made good signings for this season but was confident with the contingent he has.
On his side, Namungo coach Thiery Hitimana vowed to revenge for the defeat in the top flight league when they meet again twice.
“I admit that they were better than us but we will meet again in the league and see what will happen. I do not have to lie that the players had fatigue only that we had a bad game,” he said.
Furthermore, Hitimana disclosed that his focus now is on the league season such that when the CAF Confederation Cup fixtures are out, his team will be on the right track to do well.
Namungo have been victims of Simba machinery as they have failed to win in all four competitive meetings between them.
Simba have won three times while one encounter ended in a draw.
