Simba face FAR Rabat in friendly match today

Dar es Salaam. Mainland Tanzania champions Simba today face Moroccan giants FAR Rabat in a build-up match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.

The encounter has been scheduled to start from 6pm Tanzanian time and Simba head coach Didier Gomes has said he will use it to gauge his players’ skills. This will be the first game for Simba who are in residential camp in Rabat ahead of the next Mainland Premier League season for which Simba have recruited various players. They include Yusuf Mhilu, Hennock Bangala, Sadio Kanoute, Abdulsamad Kassim Ali, Israel Mwenda, Peter Banda, Yusuph Mhilu, Duncan Nyoni, Pape Sakho and Steven Mwanuke.

Gomes said they are expecting to get the real test of their players in the match. The team will play the African Champions League duel against the winner between Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana and DFC Beme Arronoissement of the Central African Republic on October 15 or 16 and a return leg between October 22 and 23.

“We have new players in our squad and we need to test them before the start of the next season.

“I am happy to see my players, who are responding well in our training and hopefully they will be ready for the next season soon after our pre-season training,” said Gomes.

He explained that they are expecting a strong opposition in the encounter because FAR Rabat are one of the strong sides in Morocco as well as in the African football.

FAR Rabat, who are placed third in the Moroccan Premier League (Batola) standings, are under former Simba head coach Sven Vandenbroeck.