Mayanja rallies Simba SC players to bounce back

Dar es Salaam. Simba SC open their Azam Sports Federation Cup campaign this evening with a tricky match against Polisi Dar es Salaam at the Uhuru Stadium.

The Msimbazi Street giants have not found their feet since the Mapinduzi Cup final loss to Azam FC after playing out a goalless stalemate with Mtibwa Sugar in midweek.

However, assistant coach Jackson Mayanja has rallied his players to show class and return to winning ways as they compete in two fronts.

Simba are the leaders of the Vodacom Premier League having collected 45 points from 19 matches followed by bitter rivals Young Africans with 43 from a similar number of games.

“We haven’t registered a win since the losing to Azam in the Mapinduzi Cup final, but this is a real chance of coming back to winning ways. The players seem to be ready for this match,” said the Ugandan tactician.

“We are odds-on favourites to beat them because they are a First Division side, but in football there is no logic on who should win, even a small team can win depending on their game plan and determination.

“We don’t have to underrate them at all because this competition is as equally important as the Premier League.”

The champions of the Federation Cup qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup, which is the second tier club championship on the continent.

“Our main goal this season is to win the Premier League title, but we will take the Federation Cup seriously as well. These two competitions will lead us Caf-organised events, so we aren’t taking either of them for granted,” stressed the former Kagera Sugar and Coastal Union coach.

In the previous edition, the Msimbazi Reds were eliminated by the relegated Coastal Union of Tanga.

Other teams playing today are Ruvu Shooting who will host Kiluvya United at Mabatini ground as Toto Africans clash with Mwadui at Kirumba Stadium while Mbeya Warriors will tackle Tanzania Prisons at Sokoine Stadium.

Azam FC will be in action tomorrow against minnows Cosmopolitan at the Azam Complex.