Goodies for champs Simba

Dar es Salaam. Simba Sports Club board of directors chairman, Mohammed Dewji, has revealed some of the prizes he will give the team for their stellar performance in both domestic and international championships.

Simba, who were crowned Mainland champions with two games in hand on Tuesday, reached the 2019 Caf Champions League quarter-finals.

Following the memorable feat, Simba players and technical bench members will each get a motorcycle worth Sh2.4 million, according to Dewji.

“This season is very special. We knew we could make history and we have been able to do so,” he said, referring to their first appearance in the knockout stage of the Champions League since 2002.

Dewji said plans were afoot for the Msimbazi Reds to camp in the United State or Portugal ahead of the 2019/20 season.

In fresh efforts to turn around the Msimbazi Street team’s fortunes, he also promised to bolster the squad with gifted foreign players.

He said camping overseas would give players the much needed exposure ahead of next season’s Premier League and Champions League.

Dewji, who doubles as the club’s main sponsor, assured Simba fans that he will spend more than Sh1.3 billion on players’ registration.

He promised to transform Simba into one of the best teams in Africa.

On team coach Patrick Aussems, Dewji said the Belgian would sign a new contract with the club later this month or next month.

Meanwhile, a mammoth crowd is expected at the National Stadium today when newly-crowned Mainland champions Simba face Spain’s Sevilla in a much anticipated friendly match.

The match will present Simba players with once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to test their skills against some of the best footballers in the world.

Sevilla – record Uefa Europa League champions –have been in the country since Tuesday at the invitation of SportPesa Tanzania.

The high-profile friendly, which kicks off at 7pm, has been organised by the betting firm (SportPesa) in collaboration with Spanish La Liga and Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).

SportPesa Tanzania director of Administration and Compliance, Tarimba Abbas, said yesterday that Simba, who were crowned Mainland soccer champions with two games in hand on Tuesday, will face Sevilla’s first team.

Thus expect the likes of Aishi Manula, Meddie Kagere, John Bocco, Emmanuel Okwi and Clatous Chama to line up against Wissam Ben Yedder, Jesus Navas, Aleix Vidal, Quincy Promes and Franco Vazquez.

Yedder scored 19 goals for Sevilla in the just concluded Spanish La Liga, while Kagere has so far netted 23 goals for Simba in the top flight, which is now inching towards the home stretch.

He (Yedder) also struck twice against Manchester United in the Uefa Champions League knockout stage in 2018, at Old Trafford, England.