AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMBA have been warned not to underrate Plateau United ahead of their CAF Champions League’s return leg at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam this Saturday.
Simba go into the game on a positive note after winning 1-0 in the first leg in Nigeria courtesy of Clatous Chama second half goal, which gives them an upper hand in the return fixture.
But, speaking on Wednesday here, Simba’s chairman Mwina Kaduguda said the notion that Simba have already qualified into the second round should never be entertained at this stage until they defeat their opponents on Saturday.
“Plateau United are the champions of Nigeria meaning that they have outclassed other giants including Enyimba to win such accord. I can classify them to be in the same level like Nkana FC and AS Vita as such, we need to fight hard on Saturday since they are not an easy team at all. “All passionate Simba fans on the day (Saturday) should pray hard to enable our team become victors and thereafter, we can start to celebrate,” Kaduguda who reiterated that they aim to reach into CAF CL semifinals said.
He then seized the platform to thank players, technical bench members, stakeholders and everyone who in one way or the other fuelled the team to win their first leg encounter in Nigeria while requesting the same effort to be directed in the upcoming game.
In a related development, the chairman assured Simba members and followers that soon, they will accomplish the transformation processes of the club to make it run in a modern way.
“In the entire East and Central Africa, Simba is the only club to embrace transformation as such, the challenges we face should not weaken us but rather guide us to reach our intended vision,” said him.
He added that to realise transformation is not easy but they will accomplish it regardless of the ongoing propagandas of which he said can never drag them backwards.
“Let me take this chance to thank the Board Chairman Mohamed Dewji (Mo) for his good works at the club courtesy of his own good will and real love he has for Simba. “He volunteers a lot to make sure that the club achieves success and recently, he did a recommendable job by paying huge sums of money to ensure that Chama stay put at the club,” said he.
He then hoped that all 30,000 supporters to be allowed on the match day to enter into the stadium as per recommendation by CAF should be Simba fans to make the scene totally red and white. The club’s Information Officer Haji Manara said they are not only going to play football on the day but also to give entertainment to their fans wherever they will be.
“It will be the first international match to be played at the venue after the death of former president Benjamin Mkapa who orchestrated its construction hence, we will remember him by playing more passes plus scoring more goals,” Manara said.
He further disclosed that all Covid-19 prevention measures will be embraced on Saturday whereby all entry gates into the stadium will have sanitisers and that wearing face masks is compulsory for those who will attend live the game
