Simba on brink of missing out on Champions League

Dar es Salaam. Football giants, Simba SC, are on the brink of missing the CAF Champions League for the fifth time since the 2012/2013 Tanzania Mainland Premier League season following their 2-2 draw against Namungo FC on Tuesday at the Majaliwa Stadium in Lindi.

The result means Simba, who have eight matches remaining, can collect up to 71 points if they are to win all of their eight remaining games in the league.

Despite having a chance to finish at the top, Simba need to ‘pray’ for poor results for the defending champions, Young Africans (Yanga), who sit at the top with 62 points, and second-placed Azam FC, who have collected 54 points.

Yanga and Azam FC have each played 24 matches.

Arithmetically, Simba are 15 points behind Yanga and seven points behind Azam FC.

If Simba win two matches, they will reduce the gap to nine points against Yanga and one point against Azam FC. Simba’s move will increase pressure on Azam FC, and their May 9 encounter will decide which team to follow Yanga in the second position of the league standings.

If Azam FC win the encounter, they will be four points ahead of Simba, while Simba, if they win, will be two points ahead of Azam FC.

Should the teams record a draw, Yanga will be 99 percent sure of retaining the Tanzania Mainland Premier League title for the third time in a row as Azam FC will be second and Simba third.

The draw result will put Azam FC in a good position to finish second if they win their remaining matches even though Simba win their matches. This is because Azam FC will be one point ahead of Simba.

In the CAF Champions League, records indicate that Simba missed the 2012 edition after they were placed third while Yanga managed to qualify and Azam FC featured in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Simba also missed the 2014 edition of the top football competition on the African continent, with the country being represented by Yanga and in 2015 it was Azam FC’s turn of representing the country in the tournament.

Yanga also managed to represent the country in the 2016 and 2017 editions.

However, Simba are regulars in the CAF Champions League, having featured in the competition several times and performed well from 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, to last season, 2023/2024.

In the 2021/2022 CAF Champions League, Simba qualified for the quarterfinals through a play off.

However, they were edged out in the knockout stage by South African heavyweights, Orlando Pirates.