Simba plot Prisons ambush

What you need to know:

  • Simba have an eight-point lead over nearest challengers Young Africans at the top of the standings, and could further widen that gap today as the Jangwani Street giants are not in action.

Dar es Salaam. Simba head coach, Pierre Lechantre will be targeting a 24th straight game without defeat when the Msimbazi Reds face Tanzania Prisons at the National Stadium today.

The runaway leaders are the only team that has not lost a game in this season’s Mainland Premier League, which is now inching towards the home stretch.

Simba have an eight-point lead over nearest challengers Young Africans at the top of the standings, and could further widen that gap today as the Jangwani Street giants are not in action.

It is a Premier League milestone, which former Simba coaches were incapable of achieving in the past five years.

“Prisons are a good team but we are ready for the challenge. All I care about is that we keep on winning,” Pierre Lechantre said yesterday.

“We are still winning and we are growing in every game. Right now, we are at the most exciting stage of the season but also the toughest part,” he added.

With seven games remaining, Simba are strongly-placed to finish a season without tasting defeat.

Simba, who are gunning for their first league title in five years, top the 16-team league with 55 points from 23 matches.

On paper, Lechantre’s men, who have been notching up wins almost at will this season, will start as favourites in today’s game.

They will move to within touching distance of a 19th league title if they beat Prisons in what promises to be an exciting match.

Simba strikers Emmanuel Okwi and John Bocco are among players Prisons must mark tightly if they are to avoid defeat.

Elsewhere, Mtibwa, smarting after a 1-0 defeat to Simba, take on Kagera Sugar at Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba, while Ruvu JKT face Ndanda.

Prisons head coach Mohammed Abdallah has expressed optimism that his team will hand Simba their first defeat of a season today.

“This is one of the games you really find out about your character as a team, also your character as individuals,” he said.