Sowah, who was suspended earlier this year while the team was in Dodoma preparing for a league fixture, has been out of competitive action since February
Dar es Salaam. Newly appointed Fountain Gate FC head coach Fred Felix “Minziro” faces a baptism of fire today as his side take on Simba SC in the Tanzania Mainland Premier League at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha.
The fixture is expected to be one of the most entertaining of the round, given the contrasting ambitions of the two sides and their positions on the league table.
Simba sit second with 38 points from 17 matches. A win would take them to 39 points, reducing the gap to leaders Young Africans (Yanga) , who top the table with 44 points from 18 matches, to five points and keep the title race firmly alive.
Fountain Gate, meanwhile, are 14th with 16 points from 17 matches and remain under pressure to collect points to move clear of the relegation zone. That task now falls on Minziro, who was unveiled on April 10 alongside assistant coach Mathias Wandiba, taking over from Mohamed Laizer.
It will be a tough debut for the new coach as he searches for a positive start with his new team.
On form, Simba head into the match boosted by a 3-1 win over Dodoma Jiji FC in the CRDB Federation Cup, which secured their place in the quarterfinals. Fountain Gate, however, suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Azam FC in the same competition, a match Minziro watched from the stands.
Meanwhile, Simba have reinstated Ghanaian striker Jonathan Sowah, though under strict conditions requiring him to train with the U-20 side.
Sowah, who was suspended earlier this year while the team was in Dodoma preparing for a league fixture, has been out of competitive action since February. Simba’s Head of Information and Communications, Ahmed Ally, confirmed the player appeared before the club’s disciplinary committee and was found guilty of some charges.
He added that Sowah will continue training with the youth team under supervision, with a return to the senior squad depending on his conduct and progress.
“For now, Sowah remains our player and is required to train with the U-20 team. This is part of a monitoring process, and once the committee is satisfied with his conduct, he will return to the senior team,” Ally said. Sowah, however, insists he remains committed to the club and still has a strong bond with Simba, revealing he once rejected an offer from South Africa to join the Tanzanian giants.
“I love Simba, that’s why I chose them and turned down an offer from South Africa. Football is my job and will always remain my job,” he said.
